In Focus: Artist Displaying Collection for Ukraine in Puposky

A local artist is showcasing not only her talent but the emotional impact of the war in Ukraine through her art.

Alena Hrabcakova is an artist and therapist from Red Lake who made a collection dedicated to those grieving the current war in Ukraine. Hrabcakova moved to her grandfather’s house in a Slovakian village near the Ukrainian border in 2020, only coming back to America shortly before the war began.

After living through the COVID-19 lockdown in Slovakia then hearing about the war so close to her ancestral home, Hrabcakova used her background as a trauma therapist to channel the emotional and mental effects of the war into her pieces.

Hrabcakova’s art is extremely personal, not only in the meaning but the outcomes as she also used natural pigments and materials in her pieces. These materials include dirt, coffee grounds, and beet juice, bringing out the colors while being sustainable.

“The Ukrainian and Slovakian Collection” will be displayed at the Fleur de Lis Gallery near Puposky until June 30th. Hrabcakova’s pieces will then be in galleries across America, with a separate collection in Europe.