On View July 28, 2022 - June 11, 2023

Opening Reception Thursday, June 28, 2022 4:30-7:30 p.m.

War is destructive to people and their cultural heritage. Living Through War: Works from Kharkiv by Bella Logachova is a reaction against the war in Ukraine as it is actively taking place. Each work gives unique insight into the perspective of an artist living through the violence and destruction of her homeland. With this exhibition, the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University (CAM) strives to bring empathy and awareness to the war in Ukraine while supporting an artist and her country embroiled in conflict.

Living Through War: Works from Kharkiv by Bella Logachova offers the incredibly rare opportunity to see through the eyes of a person in an active combat zone. The CAM will exhibit nineteen of Bella Logachova’s artworks from the ARtNUO (New Ukrainian Ornament) Series, produced from 2014 through 2022, along with video of the artist. The exhibitionwill be on view Thursday, July 28, 2022 with an opening reception from 4:30–7:30 p.m on July 28. Additional programs will be hosted during the run of the exhibition. 

Combining imagery that is traditional to Ukrainian folk art along with military icons and symbols, Bella Logachova creates complex and narrative digital images. Through her intricate works, she describes various international events including the current conflict in Ukraine starting with the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution: “Each work is a documentary story told by means of ornament. War time is difficult… but we need to do something, to create new things—it’s our responsibility.”

Bella Logachova is a Ukrainian artist and photographer, born in Mariupol in 1973. She graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Art, where she currently teaches media arts and is a co-founder of SOSka art group, including the Excess film group, in Kharkiv. She has exhibited her work throughout Europe and Ukraine.

Bella Logachova received wide recognition after the presentation of posters titled ARtNUO – New Ukrainian Ornament at the 4th Block’s IX International Eco-Poster Triennale for which she received the Grand Prix award of the festival. The 4th Block is an association of contemporary graphic designers. “In 2014, when the war in Ukraine started, I began the ARtNUO series…  As the war only escalates, this series is still ongoing.” 

This exhibition will be co-curated with Sabine Kutt of Sabine Kutt Photography. Sabine Kutt is a photographer, art curator, choreographer, and ballet master. Born and raised in East Germany, she has resided in the United States since 2001. Sabine Kutt curates international exhibitions and special events representing women artists, including Bella Logachova. “The natural, joyful elements of the embroidery stand in sharp contrast to the military symbols Bella Logachova inserts into her images. Her art is like news. She is one of the few artists who are able to immediately implement what she has experienced in a creative way.“

An important partner is the Dnipro Ukrainian Cultural Center in Buffalo, who is providing project support and lending traditional Ukrainian needlework for visual reference in the exhibition. The gallery will also feature a QR code that allows visitors to donate directly to Dnipro’s Ukrainian Humanitarian and Medical Aid charity fund. Smaller prints of the works will be editioned and sold to support the artist and Ukrainian organizations she selects for donations.

During a time of many global conflicts, the CAM supports creativity across borders and recognizes the deep contributions of immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC communities to the cultural fabric of the Buffalo-Niagara region. We are building accessible program opportunities for Niagara University students, local school districts, and the general public using these powerful works. 

“Art distracts and gives strength. Art will always be against war.” –Bella Logachova

About the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University:  With learning and public access at the heart of its mission, the Castellani Art Museum (CAM) is the major resource for the visual arts in Niagara County. The CAM's permanent collection includes over 5,000 pieces of modern and contemporary art, Niagara Falls art, and regional Folk Arts. The Museum is committed to the preservation of these artworks, along with offering exhibitions and programs that serve the campus, local communities, and tourists.