Donna Voronovich, Oakland University professor, specializes in teaching Art and Archeology History, Theory and Design courses. She is also a member of the board of the Ukrainian American Archives & Museum of Hamtramck, Detroit, as well as the curator of the “Ink as Identity” exhibition.
The UAA Museum held the exhibition throughout this past summer, as it included tattoos by Detroit-based artists and some artists from the old continent. The exhibit was interactive, with attendees sharing their own inkwork and having the opportunity to be photographed.
Voronovich hosted a conversation and partial exhibition at OU, during which she included submissions from individuals of Ukrainian heritage. The presentation had various individuals from all over the Metro Detroit area and other countries who shared their personal stories imprinted in their tattoos. A questionnaire was also sent out to be presented at OU, featuring questions such as “Do you think tattoos are art?”
“So, I honestly never really thought that much about tattoos as an art form, until I started doing a little research for this exhibition, and also once we started to get the submissions, and I realized how beautiful, just aesthetically beautiful a lot of the imagery was,” Voronovich said. “There are a lot of tattoos that use templates, but especially in some of the work that we showed in the exhibition, a lot of them are custom-made.
“They were custom designed after really giving it a lot of thought by the owner of the tattoo and working with the artist, ” Voronovich said “I have a whole new appreciation for tattoos as an art form.”
Voronovich answered questions after her presentation and concluded with the fact that tattoos have become a form of protest and patriotism for Ukrainians all around the world.
“I think it’s important because a lot of people in the United States, even among the Ukrainian community here, kind of have war fatigue,” Voronovich said.
She mentioned the importance of keeping a level of joy and hope for the future, and as a way to physically represent this, she showed the first mural by Banksy that appeared in Ukraine. The work of art is painted on a building in Borodyanka, Ukraine that was dilapidated by airstrikes during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
“At the end of the day, though, this is a humanitarian crisis, people are losing their lives, they’re losing their property, they’re losing hope. We have an entire country that’s going to be experiencing post-traumatic stress, even once this conflict is resolved,” Voronovich said. “So, for anybody who’s a human being. We have to care for our fellow humanity and so, that’s probably the most important reason to keep the conversation going.”
For more information on the exhibit, visit the NPR Michigan Public article from Aug. 9. For more Ukrainian-related art, visit the Ukrainian American Archives & Museum Collection of Hamtramck, Detroit, as more upcoming events and exhibits will be hosted to celebrate the holidays and Ukrainian artists.
