Contemporary dimension of the creative work of Ukrainian diaspora artists in Australia: toward the content of teaching art to school students

Abstract

The article highlights the contemporary dimension of the creative work of Ukrainian women artists in the Australian diaspora, whose activities are connected to exhibition and educational work at the Ukrainian Museum of Australia in Melbourne. The relevance of the study is due to the need to expand the content of art education in Ukraine by incorporating little-known yet significant phenomena of Ukrainian culture beyond the state, as well as by strengthening the role of cultural interaction in today’s globalized world.
The article emphasizes the importance of the Ukrainian diaspora in preserving national identity and promoting Ukrainian culture in different countries, particularly in the multicultural continent of Australia. It presents the artistic work of contemporary women artists of Ukrainian origin, such as Yaryna Liakhovych, Marusia Yurkiv-Yarotska, and Eva Heyki Olga Abbinga, revealing their individual stylistic features, thematic orientations, and artistic approaches. Special attention is paid to the influence of historical and sociocultural factors, including the forced emigration of families in the twentieth century, on the formation of the artists’ worldviews and the preservation of their national identity.
It is demonstrated that the artists’ works organically combine Ukrainian traditions with contemporary global artistic trends, fostering intercultural dialogue and integrating Ukrainian art into the global cultural space. The role of the Ukrainian Museum of Australia as an important centre of cultural memory, artistic communication, and promotion of Ukrainian heritage is highlighted.
A number of well-known artworks by the artists are analyzed, and their stylistic features, which combine contemporary global trends with Ukrainian traditions in shaping an individual artistic style, are characterized. The expediency of using the creative work of Ukrainian diaspora artists in teaching art to school students of different ages is substantiated, particularly as illustrative material for studying artistic styles, national identity, and intercultural interaction. The source base of the study includes reference materials on the diaspora, interviews with the artists, and exhibition catalogues. It is noted that the article continues the authors’ previous research in museum pedagogy.