First Ukrainian contemporary art gallery opens in New York

The first Ukrainian gallery was opened in New York's artsy SoHo district, where the works of outstanding Ukrainian artists from Kharkiv, Odesa, Rivne, Donetsk, Dnipro and Kyiv are presented.

All funds from the sale of paintings will go to support artists, to develop the project and rebuild a children's hospital in Lviv.

Among the guests at the opening were the actor, one of the Culkin brothers ("Home Alone"), Rory, known for his roles in "Black Mirror", "Scream" and "Lords of Chaos", as well as his girlfriend – cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi, known for her collaborations with Doja Cat and 30 Seconds to Mars, as well as the Succession series.

The first exhibition in the Ukrainian gallery is called Diamond Jam, which combines technology and artistic flair. There are paintings, as well as stone, textile and clay works.

The exhibition presents the works of Ukrainian artists who impressed the audience at the Venice Biennale and at the Barcelona Design Museum. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally presented the work of one of the artists at the exhibition to Pope Francis.

The main goal of the project remains to support artists in this difficult time. The gallery cooperates with more than 30 artists, some of whom are refugees and trying to survive in different countries of the European Union.

For example, Tata Kolesnyk (Kharkiv) is raising two children by herself in a small town near Cologne. Inna Pedan (Kharkiv) lost her house due to a rocket attack and found refuge with an architect from Paris. Kostyantyn Lyzohub (Kharkiv) joined self-defense from the first days of the war and now serves in the Armed Forces. However, not only those who left need support. Other artists remain living in Ukraine, and the proceeds from the sale of their paintings are the only means for them to survive.

According to curator Maria Manuylenko, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the organization has held 10 exhibitions in the United States alone, not counting countless poster campaigns in Europe and the USA. Thanks to these projects, it was possible to collect almost 20 million hryvnias ($554,725) for assistance to Ukraine, of which 50% is given to supporting artists, and the other 50% for humanitarian needs and assistance to the army.