PHOTOS. «Life Is Stronger than Death»: Exhibition «Military Field Art» Was Opened in Donbas

The exhibition «Military Field Art» traveled more than 30 cities of Ukraine, it was brought to Kramatorsk (the Donetsk region) for the first time, «Vchasno» NA reports.

More than 300 items — boxes of ammunition, shotshells shells, military clothing — artists turned into art objects. The idea belongs to the Sergeant Police of the «Kyiv» Special Police Regiment Pavlo Rotar. He has been in the ATO since 2014 as a volunteer.

Pavlo Rotar «Once I saw a box from under the ammunition and thought that it can be painted, from that all started. I began to search masters all over Ukraine who can decorate these „remnants“ of the war with bright colors, carvings, embroidery», — the author and curator of the project Pavlo Rotar shared.

Pieces of the exhibit are made in various techniques and styles — vytynanka, Petrikivska paintings, children's wooden toy, carving, straw weaving, embroidery. Masters from different regions made these exhibits at Pavlo's request, he delivered the materials.

«Here all the boxes from the front, the guys hand over, a lot of panels are from the uniform of my friends, — Pavlo Rotar said. — I was handed over these remnants of shells from Karachun, I immediately realized it will be used for the exhibition. I’ve looked inside, and there was a hornet's nest. Life is stronger than death, this is the essence of this exhibition».

Boxes and tubes from grenade launchers, tank shells were painted by Iryna Babiy. Since 2014, she serves in the «Kyiv» regiment. Before the war, Petrikivska paintings was her hobby, but she painted on jugs, now paints on boxes.

Iryna Babiy «This box from the Luhansk region, it did not see civil life, Iryna says. — When it comes to inspiration, I can draw even in the trench. I draw the soul: what is the mood in the soul, and it is fading with colors. I can not eat, drink, but draw all the time. I have a queue for souvenirs from friends and colleagues, everyone wants to carry such a souvenir home».

The pieces of the exhibit have their numbers, dates of packing, Pavlo Rotar asking the masters to leave these notations. Repeatedly the art objects offered to buy, but none of them the author of the project did not sell. A new item is added every week.

More than 200 masters from different parts of Ukraine created these art objects. There is a unique embroidery on a tree, straw embroidery, jewelry from the bags of gas masks, painted grenade launcher tubes, reels dolls, mats from camouflage fighters. One of them was created by a nun in a monastery in Odessa — on the carpet, the river divides Ukraine into the country where the war takes place and the flowering part of it.

Now the author of the project is looking for masters from the Donetsk region, who can join the creation of new exhibits, has ideas for implementation in new art objects.