Liudmyla Makei works in the traditional Petrykivka painting style, a practice recognized by UNESCO, closely connected to nature and folk traditions. Following the war in Ukraine, she has been living and working in Prishtina, where her artistic practice has taken a new direction.
"This experience of displacement has significantly changed my artistic practice. What used to be a way to preserve cultural heritage has become a process of rethinking it. I discovered that my art can travel with me, adapt and take root in a new environment. Living in Kosovo, I was deeply moved by the openness, generosity and inner strength of the people. This helped me feel the emotional and historical connection between Ukraine and Kosovo. Our countries are united by a common experience of war, but also by dignity and the ability to rebuild life after loss," says the artist.
Her project "Rerooting" explores how traditional ornamentation can be used to carry memory across borders and transform. She created a series of paintings where Ukrainian floral motifs and fairy-tale birds resonate with the visual and emotional landscape of Kosovo. It is a kind of transformation process, where familiar images sprout on a new foundation.
Liudmyla Makei
Ukrainian journalist, artist and musician. Before the start of the full-scale invasion, she headed a newspaper in her hometown. Together with European partners, she managed media projects on the topics of Ukraine's European integration, women's leadership and human rights.
Since April 2022, she has lived and worked in Pristina as a participant in the professional protection program "Residence in Kosovo". She has written dozens of articles for Ukrainian and foreign media outlets about the experience of Balkan countries in rehabilitating victims of sexual violence.
She heads the Ukrainian version of The Geopost in Pristina, which specializes in debunking fakes and information challenges of hybrid warfare.
She has had several solo exhibitions in Pristina and Skopje as an artist. In collaboration with the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims and the Jesuit Refugee Service conducted a series of art therapy workshops for refugees, internally displaced persons and community leaders.
As an artist, she represents Ukrainian culture in the Western Balkans and is convinced that cultural diplomacy is no less powerful than official policy.
This exhibition is part of the Artist Residency Program, organized with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) within the framework of the project *Empowering Cultural Expression*. The content of the exhibition is the sole responsibility of Hani i 2 Robertëve and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
