Lancaster’s Atticus shop is to host “A Fallen Tale“, a powerful comic art perspective on the war in Ukraine by Asya Voitenko, from Monday 25th until Saturday 30th March 2024.
The Lancaster exhibition, which is sponsored by Atticus, is a part of an Arts Council England-funded project that aims to share awareness about Ukrainian culture and the mental health of war witnesses.
Those interested are cautioned that the display features scenes of war and violence.
Central to the exhibition, first shown at Manchester’s Portico Library earlier this year, is the display is an autobiographic graphic novel by Asya Voitenko, whose career was interrupted by the invasion of her country, presented in a format of short stories, which follows the main character during their life in besieged Kharkiv and life in emigration. The plot relies heavily on art style to recreate subjective impressions from events in the Saltivka district.
It allows the viewer to empathise with young Ukrainians, see the war from a personal perspective, get some insights into the culture and, hopefully, better appreciate why the issue of this event is still relevant and what the current state of the conflict means both for the future of Europe’s and Ukrainian youth.
The artwork on display is part of a work in progress, an autobiographical graphic novel by Asya, depicting life in besieged Kharkiv and as a refugee in the UK.
Asya Voitenko is a 22-year-old illustrator from Kharkiv, Ukraine. “This display is dedicated to my graphic novel project, based on my experiences in 2022,” she explains. “The project is funded by Arts Council England and is created with the support of the Lakes international Comic Art Festival. It aims to actualise and raise awareness of current events in Ukraine, and Russian / Soviet and Ukrainian culture.”
“After her exhibition at the Portico Library, Asya was having trouble finding another place to show her work and I realised we could easily do it in Atticus if I freed space between the shelves, as they had in the Portico,” explains shop owner Tom Flemons.
Atticus is a small not for profit shop in Lancaster, selling mainly books, and supporting Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sulawesi, the strange K-shaped island next to Borneo in Indonesia.
• A Fallen Tale – A Comic Art Perspective on the war in Ukraine: Anastasiia Voitenko, Atticus Bookshop, 25th – 30th March 2024, 26 King Street, Lancaster LA1 1JY | Web: atticusbooks.co.uk
WARNING: This display features scenes of war and violence | This exhibition sponsored by Atticus Bookshop
• Follow Asya Voitenko on ArtStation | Instagram | Tumblr | YouTube | X