VIKA

Viktoriia Honcharukis widely known in Ukraine for leaving her career on Wall Street and giving up the opportunity to study at Harvard. Instead, she returned to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, believing she could never look young people in the eye and say,

"I gave up your freedom so that I could live a little longer."

I contacted her to ask whether I could paint her portrait, and she agreed. When she saw the finished painting, she told me it brought her to tears because it included her best friend, "Lom". For me, it was a privilege to create an exhibition telling her story, which I have since presented in a number of different venues.

I am honoured to give a voice to the people of Ukraine, who continue to do everything they can to ensure that their country can live with respect, dignity and freedom.