My First Solo Exhibition: “What Is Inside” - Zhytomyr, Ukraine, 2020

My first solo exhibition, titled “What Is Inside”, took place in February 2020 in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, at the House of Ukrainian Culture.

The exhibition ran from February 3 to February 22, 2020, with an official opening on February 4. It presented a series of works created using paper cut, textile, and layered techniques, focusing on inner states, vulnerability, memory, and what usually remains unseen.

The central visual motif of the exhibition was an apple - not as a symbol of perfection, but as a metaphor for inner structure, layers, and the fragile core hidden beneath the surface.

This exhibition became an important turning point for me. It was the first time my work existed not privately or academically, but publicly, engaging directly with viewers, journalists, and a wider local audience.

Media Coverage and Public Response

The exhibition received notable attention from local and regional media, including television, online news portals, and public broadcasters. Each publication approached the project from a slightly different angle — artistic, social, and personal.

Interview (Facebook video) An in-depth interview about the exhibition, my artistic process, and the ideas behind “What Is Inside”: https://www.facebook.com/suspilne.zhytomyr/videos/215987022732069/ This conversation focused on why I chose paper and fabric as primary materials and how personal experience transforms into visual language.

Local TV News Feature (Facebook video) Coverage of the exhibition as part of a local news programme: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=619682778575138 The report documented the opening, audience reactions, and positioned the exhibition within the cultural life of Zhytomyr.

Zhitomir.info — News Article https://www.zhitomir.info/news_189894.html A news-style article presenting the exhibition as a cultural event for the city, emphasizing its originality and the unusual choice of materials.

Suspilne (Public Broadcaster of Ukraine) https://suspilne.media/zhytomyr/12639-te-so-vseredini-pokazala-zitomirska-majstrina-za-dopomogou-tkanini-i-paperu/ This article offered a more reflective perspective, focusing on meaning, inner experience, and how paper and fabric were used to speak about emotional states. Being featured by Suspilne was especially important, as it represents Ukraine’s national public broadcasting system.

I Zhytomyryanyn — Local Media https://izhytomyryanyn.com/uk/news-1762 A community-oriented piece highlighting the exhibition as a local cultural achievement and emphasizing the handmade, labor-intensive nature of the works.

Zhytomyr-Inform — Cultural News https://zhytomyr-inform.com/news-suspilstvo-culture/90424-talant-z-zhitomirschini-zh-nka-stvoryu-ob-mn-portreti-z-vitinanok.html This article focused on technique and craftsmanship, describing the works as complex, layered portraits created through cutting and assembling paper.

Why This Exhibition Still Matters

Looking back, “What Is Inside” was not just my first solo exhibition. It was the moment when my work entered public dialogue - through viewers, journalists, and cultural institutions.

It taught me how art exists outside the studio:how it is interpreted, questioned, and sometimes unexpectedly understood.

Everything that followed - academic research, exhibitions abroad, work in contemporary art and acrylic art - grew from this first experience of visibility and responsibility.