Anatoliy Valiev arrived in Luxembourg on the eve of winter in 2023. He had come from Kiev, where he was a teacher at the Kiev Academy of Arts.
Holding the title of Honoured Artist of Ukraine, Valiev has received several international awards for his large-scale, statuesque, modern sculptures in bronze, stone and ceramics, many of which adorned the capital of his home country. It is uncertain how many of his sculptures are still intact.
Smaller versions of some of Valiev’s sculptures © Photo credit: Anouk Antony
“It took me two days to get to Luxembourg by bus, but I was attracted to its history and image as the centre of Europe, with high cultural standards,” he said.
With temporary protection from the government of Luxembourg, Valiev shares a dormitory room in a shelter in Kirchberg. “There is the necessary place to live, but unfortunately the opportunities for creativity are limited.”
According to a recent article in DW Culture, attacking cultural heritage is part of Russia’s wartime strategy. Some 102 museums and galleries have been damaged since the war began, and 12 destroyed. More than 1,000 cultural heritage sites have been damaged, over 100 of national significance.
Artrooms has given Valiev a lifeline to continue to create sculpture in their collective studio on Avenue de la Liberté in the Gare district.
Angel investors from many nationalities
Artrooms Ukrainian Artist in Residence was the brainchild of Luxembourg-based artist Ben Carter. Known for his striking cityscapes in mixed media which have adorned a collection of stamps made for Post Luxembourg, his commissioned work includes a vista mural for ISL, and metal sculptures and artwork addressing climate change on display at the Niederanven commune.
Some of the angel investors with the Ukrainian artists in residence © Photo credit: Anouk Antony
“Back in 2022 I was deeply moved and troubled by what I saw, and felt the need to do something to support Ukraine,” said Carter, adding that at the time the Artrooms artistic collective had an empty studio.
“I wanted to give it to an artist arriving from Ukraine fleeing the war, and my father suggested he could help bring together angel investors to raise funds to pay for the studio rental and help buy art materials,” Carter explained.
The shareholders or investors come from many nationalities living in Luxembourg as “many people we knew wanted to do their bit to help and the scheme felt very tangible and real to them”.
The first artist in residence, Liudmyla Pantielieieva, was chosen from 30 applicants after an exhaustive selection process.
Hope for the future
She had left Ukraine with her son at the start of the war in February 2022. “My son was recovering from Covid and was still weak, so the road was not easy for us. There were huge queues at the border with Poland, people just slept on the street,” she recalled.
From the city of Lutsk close to the Belarus and Polish borders, Pantielieieva had taught drawing, painting and composition at art school and regularly exhibited her own paintings.
Her work, mainly in the techniques of oil painting, pastels, graphics and decorative art, is held in private collections in the UK, Australia, Canada and the United States.
“There were a lot of refugees in Poland, mostly women and children. People lived in railway stations and sports halls,” she said, recounting that after three weeks, she boarded a Red Cross bus bound for Luxembourg.
“Luxembourg immediately impressed me with its charming, fabulous architecture, wonderful nature, and friendly multi-ethnic atmosphere,” said Pantielieieva, who lives in a hotel for Ukrainian refugees in Echternach.
“Our room is too small for working in oil painting technique and storing materials, so Artrooms was very important. It gave me the opportunity to continue creating.”
The paintings she created during her two-year residency at Artrooms are on display at Piano Kelly in Niederanven until September. She has also held an exhibition at the residence of a former UK judge at the Court of Justice.
Pantielieieva was the first ARUAR from Ukraine © Photo credit: Anouk Antony
“The war forced us to start a different life in new conditions, in a different environment. To revise the systems of values and learn to rejoice in the simple things that we did not notice before,” she said. “My works are full of faith in the future. I believe that art should inspire and give hope even in difficult times.”
Carter helped Pantielieieva and now Valiev to settle in, connect them with a network of supportive people, and help them to prepare for an exhibition at the end of their residency.
“It gives them a safe haven amongst other creatives, and quiet space to anchor themselves in Luxembourg whilst trying to rebuild their lives,” Carter said.
He is keen to point out that the relationship is not one way: “I have found it very humbling. Both Liudmyla and Anatoliy keep a brave face and positive mindset despite their situation, which is very inspiring in itself. They are both very creative and motivated, and having that constant energy around you is also very positive.”
Destruction of cultural heritage
Pantielieieva believes that Russia is at war with the cultural and historical heritage that contribute to the national identity of Ukrainians. “Architectural monuments and museums are purposefully destroyed, valuable exhibits are stolen,” she said. Valiev concurs: “Everything is in danger in the Ukraine now.”
“It gives them a safe haven amongst other creatives,” said Ben Carter, pictured with a work in progress of a Luxembourg cityscape © Photo credit: Anouk Antony
Valiev hopes to make a large-scale sculpture for Luxembourg in gilded bronze or Carrara marble, to be placed in a public building or park, similar to the monumental sculptures he made for Kiev.
Although he plans to return to Ukraine if and when the situation normalises, Valiev appreciates his adopted home: “In Luxembourg there is a lot of attention to creativity, there is a great interest and support for contemporary art, and many events in the cultural sphere. And this inspires creativity.”
More information on the artists and their work
You can find out more about Liudmyla Pantielieieva’s exhibition in Niederanven here.
You can find out more about the work of Anatoliy Valiev here.
You can find out more about Ben Carter, his work and Artrooms here.