Viktoriia Kovalenko

2024

26х38

Watercolour on paper

This painting depicts a branch of a poplar tree, which symbolizes my childhood in Saltivka — a district of Kharkiv where I grew up. The poplars that once lined the streets became an integral part of my world, a symbol of stability and the carefree days of a time when peace surrounded us.

Today, Saltivka stands in a different light — marked by war, destruction, and shelling that have changed everything around it. The poplar branch in the painting embodies a connection to that past, which can no longer be restored. It represents both loss and hope. For even amidst destruction, nature and memory persist, though in a transformed state. This symbol of transience reminds us that everything once familiar and stable is now under threat — yet it still exists, as long as we remember.