A Note from Alla Rogers, curator —Welcome to the exhibition!

What does the title mean? Hold the light is a call to action that appeals to us at the highest expression of our own humanity.  It is a call to each of us to be beacons of kindness, love, compassion, generosity, liberty, justice and humanity for the sake of one another in this world.  As we begin to celebrate Ukraine’s Independence day I would like to share some guide posts for your added enjoyment of this exhibition.

This exhibition itself is about the visible light spectrum and the energies of nature creating bridges of consciousness within us between the visible and invisible energies of which  we are a part.  For what purpose you might ask?

For healing, for inspiration, for balance, for peace.

The works you see were conceived both in the US and Ukraine.  The fabrication of the artwork is as follows: artist’s photo collages of nature seen through crystals and  water and then printed onto plexi glass. The fabrication took place in Kharkiv a city on Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia that has been bombed over and over again.  It was once Ukraine’s capitol. While the art works were being assembled Kharkiv was heavily bombed. The printing house that printed all the posters and literature took a direct hit.  The fabrication location of the plexi glass prints was also bombed and several pieces were damaged and are technically war debris.

The man doing the work was called to the front lines during production and the delivery route out of Ukraine had to be changed and complicated by security protocols in a combat zone.  What you see is an example of Ukraine’s unbreakable resistance to oppression, its unity among fellow citizens to support all good efforts as long as and whenever possible. This is not just an exhibition of images by one artist in an art gallery in Washington DC, it is an expression of hope, humanity, resilience, courage and faith in our sacred shared humanity. It is also a celebration of Ukrainian freedom and sovereignty

Ukraine’s fighting spirit seems to be a revelation to the world, but make no mistake, Ukrainian warriors were known for their skill and fierceness in battle throughout its history going back to their founding in the tenth century. Leaders of enemy empires feared and respected Ukraine’s military leaders and troops.

Beleaguered allies hired Ukrainian warriors to fight enemies they could not face. But let us be clear, Ukraine historically has been a defender, not an aggressor.  Ukraine loves Peace and above all Freedom.

Learn more about Olha Onyshko ad her work: oliafilm.com