Gallery: Ukrainian children's fairytale art from Kharkiv reaches Estonia
More than a dozen works by young artists in Kharkiv are now on display in Pärnu, blending forgotten legends and untold tales with new mythologies in large, colorful scenes.
"Lost Fairy Tales" opened at the Pärnu Museum of New Art (MONA) this week, showcasing 14 monumental original works created by about 40 children and teens ages 5–17.
Kharkiv's Aza Nizi Maza art studio continues to operate from a World War II-era bomb shelter, where kids still meet, learn and create amid ongoing drone, missile and guided-bomb strikes on the city.
The exhibition grew from the idea of a "missing museum" — a world made up of forgotten legends, untold stories and new mythologies inspired by the Baroque collections of European museums.
The young artists first drew elements found in ancient frescoes, botanical atlases, medieval maps and manuscripts before developing characters and building narratives around them.
Details like rosehips, seashells, bones, bats, lions and musical instruments meet characters ranging from beggars, saints and witches to princesses, children and those who have seen it all.
The scale of the works, which measure 2.5 x 1.5 meters, allows viewers to step into these visual worlds and become part of the unfolding narratives.
Curated by Mykola Kolomiiets and Iryna Hrytska, "Lost Fairy Tales" will remain on view in Pärnu through October 4.
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Editor: Kaspar Viilup, Aili Vahtla
