Freedom Salon / Салон Волі

A celebration of Ukrainian art + artists

FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 2, 2025
Opening reception: February 20, 2025
@ The Gallery George (140 West Hastings Street, Vancouver)

Ukrainian art and artists took centre-stage in FREEDOM SALON / Салон Волі, a two-week exhibition that highlighted work created since russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 

Inspired by the European salons of the 19th century – in which artists from all disciplines would gather to share work and ideas – FREEDOM SALON / Салон Волі featured the work of Ukrainian artists from a variety of disciplines, including art photography, fashion illustrations, icon paintings, petrykivka, pysanky, sculpture, street art, vyshyvanky (embroidery), vytynanky (papercutting), and war posters. Each work of art included in FREEDOM SALON / Салон Волі was stunning to behold, evocative in its own way, and borne of artistic freedom. 

FREEDOM SALON / Салон Волі also included a number of artistic workshops and ancillary events that highlighted the passion and expertise of Ukrainian artists, in Ukraine and abroad; these included a pysanky workshop, vytynanky workshop, youth-oriented street art workshop, and a special community gathering on February 24, the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion. The opening event (on February 20) included Ukrainian food, live drawing by illustrator Janelle Knihnitski, a musical performance by Taras Luka, and a vyshyvanka fashion show featuring designs by renowned vyshyvanka designer Tanya Znak.

Some of the artists featured in FREEDOM SALON / Салон Волі were displaced by the war; others are members of the Ukrainian diaspora. Participating artists included Albina Kolesnichenko, Anna Kovalenko, Anna Makeyeva, Dale Mehra (née Kiperchuk), Dmytro Vasylkiv, Janelle Knihnitski, Ira Havuka, Iryna Kalantai, Julia Bozhko, Kateryna Kryvolap, Liza Yablonska-Mykhailus, Masha Weisberg, Nazar Ivashkiv, Nika Kozhushko, Olena Krevenets, Tania Yakunova, Tanya Znak, Veronika Kotyk, and Volodomyr Vasylkiv. 

The exhibition itself was free to attend; a small fee was be required for workshops and ancillary events; the majority of the artwork was be available for purchase, with funds raised split between several Ukrainian humanitarian causes. 

Presented by YVR Screen Scene
Community partners: Atomic Cartoons, Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group, and Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Vancouver branch.

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