One day, you have to start your life with a clean slate.
For some, it is an enticing opportunity; for others, a daunting trial. But what if you are forced to make a fresh start against your will?
The photography exhibition TABULA RASA. Voices of Ukrainian Women is artist Svitlana Didukh Romaneneko’s reflection on beginning anew in a different place, on searching, and on women’s solidarity. Unable to find an answer to the question “How do you start all over again?”, the author embarks on a journey to discover it through conversations with other Ukrainian women.
The exhibition shares the stories of eight women from Ukraine: some arrived in Lithuania before 2022, while others were forced to seek refuge after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Some had Lithuanian roots; others had never imagined ending up here. Some followed the call of the heart, while others fled from the war zone.
“I believe in the power of women. And in the power of women supporting one another. Starting from scratch in a new place, in a new country, among strangers, is no easy challenge. How do you dare? Where do you begin? Where do you find the strength and self-belief? I had no answers to these questions. So I decided to ask those who had already walked this path,” says the exhibition’s author, Svitlana.
We invite you to see just how much women’s solidarity and courage can achieve – perhaps it will serve as a signpost to your own inner questions.
Svitlana Didukh Romaneneko is a Ukrainian writer, photographer, and translator, a member of the National Writers’ Union of Ukraine and the Panevėžys Photographers’ Society. She is the author of five poetry collections, three children’s books, and the historical publication The Boryspil Alphabet. She arrived in Lithuania with her son in 2022 and currently lives in Panevėžys, where she studies at a college and is a member of the “Ukreate Hub” community.
The exhibition will be on display until November 21, during museum opening hours.
