Oleksandra Novatska is an artist and curator from Lviv, Ukraine, now living in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. She works mainly with watercolor and pencil, adding other materials and techniques where a project requires them.  

Last year, Oleksandra held a solo exhibition entitled ‘Faraway. From Ukraine to UK – A Tribute‘ in Dumfries, which then travelled to Inverness. The exhibition told her story as one of over eight million stories of Ukrainian women and children who have been forced to flee their homes in 2022 in search of safety and security.  

“My new project is called ‘Integration’ and I will reflect on how my Ukrainian origins and Scottish reality are intertwining. I am researching and comparing Ukrainian and Scottish myths and legends, cultural and historical traditions, and will make new works on paper and on canvas to show this integration. 

Landscapes & Horizons is a new fully funded group residency for five Scotland-based artists and cultural practitioners, open to people aged over 40, from refugee and other migrant backgrounds. Hosted by Cove Park in collaboration with Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing organisation, and Cross Borders at Scottish Refugee Council.

Image provided by the artist.