An interview with Ukrainian artist Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu
My Voice is Hoarse from Pain – An Interview with Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu.
Portrait of Ukrainian artist Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu. Photo: Jerome Whittingham.
In this deeply poignant episode, I chat to Ukrainian artist Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu.
Yuliia reflects on her personal journey through war, displacement, and artistic expression.
Speaking on the last day of her exhibition My Voice is Hoarse from Pain, which was presented at the University of Staffordshire 18th February to 3rd March 2025, Yuliia shares how she turned tragedy into powerful artwork.
"Where suffering speaks, silence is not an option."
Yuliia reflects on:
Fleeing Ukraine: The morning of the invasion, the frantic escape with her children, and the uncertainty of leaving everything behind.
The power of art: How she transformed from a lawyer into an artist, using art as a way to document and share Ukraine’s suffering.
Artworks and installations:
The Escape – A collection of personal belongings carried while fleeing.
Lost Dreams – Paper planes symbolising Ukrainian children lost in the war.
I Have to Leave My Childhood Here – A melted children's chair, recovered from the ruins of a bombed home in Irpin.
Returning to Ukraine: Her decision to collect artefacts from destroyed homes to bear witness through art.
A message to world leaders: The need for real security guarantees for Ukraine and global peace.
🎧 Listen now to hear Yuliia’s powerful story of resilience, memory, and art.