Talents for Ukraine

Semenik Oksana

Culture

Art historian, journalist, author of Ukrainian Art History in Twitter

Oksana is a promoter of Ukrainian art. During her time in the occupied Bucha, she promised herself that she would do everything to make Ukrainian artists known worldwide. The historian kept her promise - since then, she defended her master's thesis "Depiction of the Chernobyl Disaster in Ukrainian Art," persuaded several museums to recognize Ukrainian, not Russian, artists such as Kuindzhi, Aivazovsky, Repin, and others. Thanks to her, the Metropolitan Museum of Art changed the title of Edgar Degas' painting from "Russian Dancers" to "Dancers in Ukrainian Costumes."

Additionally, Oksana developed an art course in the "Change Makers" project, wrote text for the catalog "Maria Prymachenko: Glory to Ukraine," launched a radio show "Ukrainian Art in Names" on Radio Culture, and tens of thousands of people from around the world, including Timothy Snyder, follow her project's Twitter account, Ukrainian Art History. Twitter

There is still much work to be done in writing the history of Ukrainian art - a decolonized one.

One can achieve everything by one's own efforts.

The history of our art is being written right now - with how even in occupation, artists continue to work, how they save paintings from burning museums, how exhibitions open, and artists volunteer for the front.

It's not worth doing harm to other people, because all the bad things come back later.

I adore working with archives, letters, notes, memoirs, diaries, and everything that allows connecting different stories and solving mysteries.

It's difficult to plan anything in Ukraine because you simply don't know what tomorrow will bring.

My big goal is for Ukrainian art to be as well-known as French, Italian, or American art.

Brave is the one who is afraid but still acts. And even more so, the one who does their hard work every day.

I am inspired by the stories of outstanding Ukrainians who continued to preserve and explore Ukrainian culture even when it was prohibited and dangerous.

I'm aided in achieving success by imposter syndrome - I believe that everything I do is inadequate.

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full of creative energy
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have a unique and creative perspective
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know how to achieve results