Restart Ukraine is a unique art collection created by Ukrainian and Swedish children as a symbol of peace when the war in Ukraine began.
The initiative started with Stephanie Tajiev, a 15-year-old student from Stockholm, Sweden, who invited her classmates from Adolf Fredrik’s Musikklasser to create a series of artworks in support of Ukraine. Their goal was to sell the artworks and raise funds to help Ukrainian children express themselves creatively. Artten Gallery organized several painting workshops during the summer holidays in collaboration with the NGO House of Ukraine, providing Ukrainian children with a space for artistic expression.
The collection was first presented on April 23, 2022, during Kulturnatt Stockholm and later showcased in partnership with Mäster Olofsgården in Stockholm’s Old Town. As part of Stockholm Craft Week 2022, public presentations were held in both Stockholm and New Jersey, supported by a residency program at ESKFF in Mana Contemporary.
In February 2023, the collection was exhibited at The Royal Armoury Museum in Stockholm, Livrustkammaren, during Stockholm Design Week. The artworks have since been sold worldwide, leaving behind an important legacy of creative resistance and survival for future generations of children affected by war.
Art for peace.
Despite not sharing a common language, colors and canvases became the bridge that brought Swedish and Ukrainian youth together, fostering connection and mutual support. This has endowed The ‘Restart Ukraine!’ art collection with a unique, heartfelt, and compelling essence. Through the global sale and shipping of these artworks, we call upon the global community to take more significant steps towards ending wars and armed conflicts worldwide, which often leave millions of children facing homelessness and orphanhood.
Each canvas, laden with hope and optimism, bears the signature of its young artist. The profits from these sales are allocated to support the young artists in Ukraine, enabling them to provide assistance to their families and friends back in Ukraine.
Art for sale.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has left countless children fatherless and mothers mourning their sons. Life during wartime is lonely and filled with fear, shattering dreams. Despite these heartbreaking stories, Artten Gallery continues to weave hope and optimism into the lives of Ukrainian children through art and crafts. Colors guide these young souls away from grief and death, fostering new friendships that provide warmth and fellowship.
MEET SOME OF OUR YOUNG TALENTS
Lev Shalimov, 12 yo from Odessa, Ukraine, created this painting together with his mother on April, 2 at Artten Gallery.
Mixed media on canvas 40 x 40 cm, with support of L.Christeseva
Elizaveta Murugova, 14 y.o from Krivoj Rog, Ukraine painted this piece together with her new Swedish friend Lisen Forsenius, 14 y.o, on the 10th of April.
Mixed media on canvas 40 x 40 cm, with support of L.Christeseva
Restart Ukraine!
Since Spring 2022
In spring 2022, as the war in Ukraine unfolded, Artten Gallery organized a series of workshops that united Swedish and Ukrainian teenagers on a creative journey. This initiative has culminated in a distinctive collection of artworks available for purchase, with the proceeds empowering young artists to support their families in Ukraine as they endure the aftermath of war.
