Maryna Palub, tidigare deltagare och mentor i vårta initiativ CareEUkraine och CareUDRC, har genom sitt engagemang inom UArt Soul Project inte bara omdefinierat sin egen resa från jurist till konstnär utan har också skapat en plattform för andra kvinnor att växa och blomstra. På Internationella Kvinnodagen vill vi uppmärksamma Marynas starka berättelse om återuppbyggnad, kreativitet och samhörighet.
Läs intervjun med Maryna nedan för att ta del av hennes berättelse.
Can you share a bit about your background and your relation to Doing Good?
Due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I was forced to leave with my two daughters. It was very difficult to come to terms with what had happened, especially as we had lost our loved ones. But I had to pull myself together for the sake of my daughters. I met very good people along the way who supported me. There were various support projects for people who fled because of the war. One of them was the Doing Good Project.
I am very grateful to this project because it helped me believe in myself, provided support, employment, training, and new acquaintances. Later, I became a mentor myself and supported Ukrainian women.
Namn: Maryna
Ålder: 37 år
Yrke: Jurist, möbelrestaurerare och smyckeskonstnär
I am very grateful to this project because it helped me believe in myself, provided support, employment, training, and new acquaintances. Later, I became a mentor myself and supported Ukrainian women.
What are you working with today?
Today, I work in a great company where I have a creative approach. I started creating jewellery again and launched my own jewellery brand, PTASHKA. I am happy that my jewellery is chosen and bought not only by Ukrainian women but also by Swedes. Most importantly, I have found an incredible team of like-minded girls with whom we share a common goal. We founded the UArt Soul Project. This project unites Swedish and Ukrainian culture, introduces Ukrainian authenticity to Swedish society, unites creative people, and gives them the opportunity to present themselves, develop, and expand their networking. To achieve this mission, we organise various events, such as fairs, workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. In April, we will hold an exhibition in a gallery where Ukrainian artists and craftsmen will be able to present their works.
The aim of this exhibition is to showcase Ukrainian artists and their works from various fields of art. Here, you will be able to see, touch, and be inspired by the self-sufficiency of Ukrainian art, and learn the stories of our talented artists. The exhibition will last for a month at the creative space Symbiont ArtWrk, which brings together creative people in Gothenburg. During this time, you will be able to purchase works by artists and photographers, as well as printed illustrations by digital artists. We will also hold a series of workshops that will take place in the same space every Saturday.
What advice would you give to women interested in similar projects?
I believe that such exhibitions and events should support Ukrainian women who have left their homes, families, and friends—things that supported them before. Women, especially those engaged in creativity, often need this friendly support and belief in their strength. They also need to meet with experts from the Swedish art world to better understand their new potential buyers. So, we aim to provide them with all of this and inspire them to create new work.
My advice is to try new things, discover, and develop your talents. I believe that everyone has a special gift, often more than one. To find this gift, I think you need to try yourself in different fields of activity, in different areas of art, and listen to yourself. As soon as a person feels attracted and interested in something, it is important to continue and develop. That is why we hold many different workshops, so that people can try different things and find their own.
Who is a female role model that has inspired you?
Firstly, my daughters are an example for me. They are still children, but every day they show me an example of how, despite problems and difficulties, you have to move forward, continue to live, and look at the world with gratitude and curiosity. My team is another example. We are all different, but we all support each other, help each other, create our own world of art, beauty, and creativity. We inspire each other because we are united by the same goal and are in love with our work.
We are all different, but we all support each other, help each other, create our own world of art, beauty, and creativity. We inspire each other because we are united by the same goal and are in love with our work.
Läs mer
- Marynas smyckemärke PTASHKA
- Läs mer om UArt Soul Project
- Läs mer om vårt pågående initiativ för Ukrainas återuppbyggnad, Build Forward Platform
- Läs mer om våra tidigare initiativ för Ukrainare i Sverige CareEUkraine och Care UDRC