The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation launched an art exhibition curated by Ukrainian women to highlight the war’s impact on the country’s women and children.
The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the foundation and the Ukrainian Association of South Africa. It was created with the aim of improving the public’s understanding of the impact of war on the people of Ukraine, especially its women and children.
The exhibition was curated by members of the women-led artist collective Sunseed Art and was released to coincide with Women’s Month.
Titled “The Womanly Face of War”, the exhibit portrays how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had impacted women and girls, including the horrors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Co-founder and board member of Ukraine Crisis Media Centre (UCMC), Nataliya Popovych, accused Russia of attempting to break the country’s resilience and force a surrender.
“This destroys their national identity and statehood. No one can enslave people (who were) born free,” she said.
“Time and again the Ukrainian artists, standing on the shoulders of the generations of their predecessors, choose to create even during the most difficult circumstances.”
“They say, we are here and we will always be here. We cry and we mourn, we fight and we dream, as a nation and as a country.”
Popovych said Ukrainian art is a language to engage and inspire people around the world to contribute to the fight for freedom.
The foundation’s CEO, Janet Jobson, said it was important for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation to play a part in conscientising South Africans about the war.
“Archbishop Desmond Tutu was consistent in speaking out against all forms of injustice and this is a moment in our history where we too cannot afford to sit on the fence,” she said.
“We need to find a common humanity with the people on the ground in Ukraine and build a global solidarity for peace and justice for those whose human rights are being violated,” she added.
The exhibition is open to the public until August 25, at the foundation’s home in the Old Granary building, from 9.30am to 3.30pm daily. Entrance is free and donations will go toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.