Photo: Galleria Civica Cavour, Stedley Art Foundation

On March 7th, an exhibition titled 'The Sacred Tablets of Ukraine. Oleksandr Zhivotkov' opened in Italy. The exhibition will present Italian viewers for the first time with over 30 works by Alexander Zhyvotkov, most of which were created after the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion. On February 24th the artist’s studio became his own battlefield where Zhyvotkov fought as an artist for his country. Most of his works are dedicated to specific dates and months, which will be forever linked to heart-rending events in history. Bucha, Mariupol, Kherson, Irpin, and Vinnytsia. 

"War has plunged Ukrainian society into pain, despair, and grief. Exploring these emotional states, Zhivotko reproduces them in sculptural reliefs and counter-reliefs made of cardboard, stone, and wood. In his work, he focuses on the tragedy of existence and on the ethical ideals of humanity," say the organizers.

Alexander Zhyvotkov belongs to a rare creed of artists who focus their art on the tragedy of being and human moral ideals. His art is truly genuine and his expressive bas-reliefs in wood and stone have an deep effect on the spectator as they document tragic events and remind us of the frailty of humanism in the real world.

Anno Domini (detail), 2016. The work was donated to the Vatican in 2019. Photo: Evgeny Nikiforov

The exhibition is organized by the Ukrainian charitable foundation Stedley Art Foundation in cooperation with the municipality of Padua – Department of Culture, as well as under the patronage of the Veneto region, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Italian Republic, and the Consulate of Ukraine in Milan.

"With this exhibition, we want to express the empathy of our municipality and our city towards the Ukrainian people, hoping that through culture, conditions can be created for the return of peace and the restoration of respect for international law," said Andrea Colasio, the cultural assessor.

Founder of the Stedley Art Foundation: Stella Beniaminova

Curator of the Stedley Art Foundation: Tatyana Voloshyna 

Italian curator: Lyudmila Vladova Olenovich 

In collaboration with the Municipality of Padua 

Free admission

Opening times:

Tuesday to Friday: 11:00 to 13:30 from 14:00 to 19:30

Saturday to Sunday: 10:00 to 13:30 з 14:00 to 19:30