The Awakening

The artwork is created using toys, and other items collected by the Ukrainian charity organization Malyn Volonter from bombed and abandoned homes for my art project. The materials were sent to Finland in collaboration with the Ukrainian Association in Jakobstad. In the creation process, I also incorporated cherished items from my own children, such as a toy cat my son slept with for years and a pillowcase my mother made for my children. Throughout the process, I could not escape the thought of how it would feel if this happened to my own children. The piece conveys the horror and trauma that transforms a child’s room when soldiers and war machines breach a child’s sanctuary.

The work has been exhibited at