Through the Lens of Ukrainian Belonging

The Shevchenko Museum cordially invites you to the opening of Through the Lens of Ukrainian Belonging, a solo exhibition of paintings by Ukrainian Canadian artist Olga Polstvin at 1604 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Ontario, on Friday, September 26, 2025 at 6 PM. 

Olga Polstvin is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural leader, and Master of Arts Leadership candidate at Queen’s University whose practice bridges painting, storytelling, and community engagement. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, she carries forward the resilience and cultural memory of her heritage, weaving themes of belonging, healing, and identity into her work.

Her artistic inspiration is drawn from the love of her native Ukrainian land – its beauty, nature, culture, customs, and traditions. She sees art as a bridge between heritage and future, personal memory and collective resilience — a lens through which belonging is not only remembered but continually reimagined.

After immigrating to Canada, Olga continued to explore her identity through art. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and community spaces across Toronto and beyond, including the Glendon Gallery and the McCormick Gallery, and she is a member of the International Watercolour Society, Canadian Chapter. Her projects often integrate visual art, performance, and community-based programming, with a focus on cultivating spaces of belonging and resilience.
Polstvin’s forthcoming solo exhibition, Through the Lens of Ukrainian Belonging at the Shevchenko Museum, is her most personal work to date. Carrying the weight of personal loss — the passing of her mother and grandmother in the shadow of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — the exhibition reflects on language, memory, grief, and the enduring song of Ukrainian identity.

To cite the artist, “My art is rooted in belonging. For me, to be Ukrainian is not only a cultural identity but a lived experience — carried in the healing wisdom of plants, the dignity of language, the resilience of memory, and the songs that call us home.”

The exhibition, Through the Lens of Ukrainian Belonging, will run at the Shevchenko Museum until October 31, 2025.  Gallery hours: Mon-Wed, Fri 10am - 4pm; Thurs 12-7pm, weekends and holidays by appointment. Although admission is free, donations are greatly appreciated.

Shevchenko Museum
1604 Bloor Street West, Toronto ON M6P 1A7
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