Ukrainian artist Natalia Siukhina has a solo show at City Arts in Hampton Road, Newbury. It opens on Thursday and runs to May 4. Her current body of work has resulted from her attempts to deal with the trauma of war in her home country, which she fled for the UK.
Natalia was born in 1991 in the city of Sumy, located near the border with Russia. Fleeing the war, she moved to the UK. Her entire family is still in Sumy, which is under frequent attack.
Before the war, Natalia worked as an artist and art teacher. Some of her paintings are in private collections in Italy, Norway, Ukraine, Cyprus and the US.
At home, she left an unfinished painting that she began to paint on February 23, 2022, one day before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Since then, it has been difficult for her to continue painting in the same way she painted before the war.
At present, Natalia lives in Kintbury.
She collaborated with City Arts to help provide workshops for wellbeing for Ukrainian families during 2022 and 2023.
The Mandalas
This exhibition is the result of Natalia’s art therapy. To cope with constant stress, she began to draw and paint mandalas in a new technique for her.
At first, the drawings were based on the schemes from the Mari Card test (The MARI is a comprehensive system that uses symbols, known as mandalas, to reveal the inner truth and reality of the subject as it is –not what the ego filters of consciousness would want it to be, but what it really is), and then she began to create free themes.
In her works, she reflects her emotions and feelings at the time of drawing, as well as what inspires her, distracts her from the horrors of the war in her native country and gives her strength and hope to live on.
The proceeds of this exhibition will raise funds for Sumy Society for the Protection of Animals
The artist accepts commissions for mandalas in different colours or larger sizes than those at the exhibition, if anyone is interested they can get in touch with her to discuss an individual commission via City Arts Newbury.
The exhibition is open Thursday to Sunday 10am to 4pm and is free to enter.
