DepartmentEurope

Світло надії (Light of Hope)

NamePainted shell casing

Artist Oksana Doroshenko (Ukrainian, born 1983)

CultureUkrainian

Date2024

Place madeKherson, Ukraine, Europe

MediumShell casings, acrylic paint

Dimensions6 × 1 1/4 × 1 1/4 in. (15.24 × 3.175 × 3.175 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, Gift of Oksana Doroshenko, IFAF Collection, FA.2025.12.1

Object numberFA.2025.12.1

Collections

New Acquisitions: The Gift of Folk Art

DescriptionPainted in the Petrykivka style, a Ukrainian decorative technique traditionally used on everyday household items, this work displays the colors of the Ukrainian flag. “Our flag has become a symbol of struggle and resilience, reminding the world of the Ukrainian people,” says Doroshenko

Born in Kherson, Doroshenko continues to witness the ongoing devastation of her city. A mother of two, her children’s school was destroyed by a Russian airstrike in 2023. “Through agony and despair, we create,” says the artist. “By painting bright flowers and patterns on shell casings, we tell the world that we remain hopeful for a prospering Ukraine.”