How War Transformed a Ukrainian Artist's Vision of Resistance
Ukrainian artist Dmytro Gavrysh has shifted his creative focus since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. Once known for abstract paintings, his work now confronts war, destruction, and resistance. Through exhibitions, photography, and multimedia projects, he documents the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on his homeland.
Born in Kyiv in 1982, Gavrysh moved to Bern at 11, where he later discovered writing and theatre. His bilingual upbringing—speaking Russian and Ukrainian—shaped his perspective, as did his family's ties to Germany and Switzerland.
Gavrysh's parents, both Germanists, met in East Berlin before settling in Ukraine. After independence, his father helped establish the Ukrainian embassy in Bern, where the family relocated in 1993. There, Gavrysh learned to swim, finished school, and began writing his first texts.
His artistic career initially centred on abstract painting. But the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 transformed his approach. Exhibitions like Shadows of War (2022, Kyiv) and the photo series Ruins of Home (2023, online and Berlin) emerged from field sketches in war-torn regions and testimonies of displaced people. His ongoing multimedia project Echoes of Invasion (2024–2025) will tour Lviv and international venues.
Primarily a playwright, Gavrysh contributes to Reportagen magazine and recently premiered The Steamed Dumpling in Bern (2024). Yet he admits struggling to capture Ukraine's reality for the stage. He describes himself as 'born in Kyiv, Bern at heart, Berlin by choice'—a reflection of his layered identity.
For Gavrysh, art must act as a counterforce to the Russia-Ukraine war. His projects preserve memories of loss while asserting Ukraine's resilience through creative resistance.
Gavrysh's work now spans visual art, photography, and theatre, all rooted in the Russia-Ukraine war's consequences. His exhibitions and writings give voice to those displaced and affected by conflict. As he continues to explore new forms, his art remains a defiant response to destruction.
