Loss and resilience: 'Amidst Cries from the Rubble' explores life in war-torn Ukraine through art

“Perhaps somewhere amidst cries from the rubble, a tulip will suddenly sprout.” — Lina Kostenko, Ukrainian poet

The bold textile displays the image of a woman holding a mask in red and black. She dangles bullets down the length of her dress like tears.

Loss and resilience: 'Amidst Cries from the Rubble' explores life in war-torn Ukraine through art

The Museum of International Folk Art is showcasing “Amidst Cries from the Rubble: Art of Loss and Resilience from Ukraine” beginning on Sunday, June 23. Through more than 60 works, including the newly commissioned photographic series “Wrapping Art — Art of Salvation” by Marta Syrko, the exhibition presents a reflection on the enduring strength of the Ukrainian people.

The exhibit offers an exploration of life in a war zone through bullet and shell casings, helmets and ammunition boxes as symbols of resistance and hope amid the chaos of conflict. It showcases art objects crafted from materials salvaged from war-torn landscapes, illustrating how Ukrainians navigate trauma through creativity and expressions of cultural heritage.

Although most museum shows take from two to three years to organize, this exhibit came together in just six months, said Laura Mueller, MOIFA curator.

“We were very nervous about whether we could get anything out of Ukraine,” Mueller said.

Much of the artwork came through Poland instead, she added.

Yaroslava Tkachuk of Lviv created the image of the woman in fiber using silk, acrylic, oxidized brass and ammunition casings. Organizers struggled to ship it because of the bullets. They finally removed them from the piece so that it could be certified as non-explosive. They then contacted an American military supply company to replace them.

“The female figure is dressed in a traditional wedding costume,” Mueller said.

Poland-based refugee Vitalii Senyshyn created “Defense” using a found Russian World War II helmet and toy soldiers to create a battle scene.

Roman Selivachov created “Cossack Drone Operator” using wood from an ammunition box, egg tempera and gold leaf.

“He’s a professional icon painter,” Mueller said. “Friends from the front brought back the ammunition boxes; he uses them to paint icons. He sells them to raise money to support the war effort.”

Ukrainian Cossacks were brave warriors who defended the independence of the Ukrainian state for centuries.

Selivachov’s “Lady of the Drones” lifts Sandro Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and places her in a war zone.

“He uses representations of the Madonna as well as Botticelli’s ‘Venus,’ ” Mueller said.

Serhii Polubotko’s “Genesis” turns bullet casings into Ukrainian Easter eggs or pysanky.

When the Russians launched the full-scale invasion, artist Marta Syrko noticed people from her hometown of Lviv wrapping public artworks for protection. She created the series “Wrapping Art — Art of Salvation” in 12 commissioned photographs.

“She wanted to document this as an artistic practice,” Mueller said. “She’s protecting the past and the present through these large-scale prints.”

The photographs measure 4-by-5 feet.

Refugee metalsmith Serhii Polubotko created sunflowers out of bullet casings. He also made a rose.

“He received a Russian missile brought out after it was used in an attack,” Mueller said. “He was struck by its looks as a rose. The bud of the rose is a Russian missile fragment.”

The exhibit gestated when an art therapist friend of Mueller’s traveled to Ukraine for humanitarian work. The friend approached her about the art she had seen there.

Open in the Gallery of Conscience, the show was curated by Mueller, Sasha Samuels and Nina Medvinskaya, along with project management by Lillia McEnaney.