On the Edge

“On the Edge” — works in metal, wood and ceramics combined with fragments of enemy weapons, Gallery of the Lviv National Academy of Arts, 2023.

On the Edge — black wooden relief with weapon fragments by Nazar Symotiuk

In June 2023, the Gallery of the Lviv National Academy of Arts presented “On the Edge” (Ukrainian: «На межі») — an art project about resilience and the confidence in Ukraine’s victory, in which works of art were created using fragments of enemy weapons.

About the project

“On the Edge” looks deeply into the nature of art and the boundaries that separate peace from violence, harmony from chaos. Here art meets the horror of war, and the boundaries between life and killing, nature and weapons, are blurred.

The aesthetic effect comes from an unexpected combination of materials. Ceramics, known for its fragility, contrasts with the harshness of iron and the sharp fragments of weapons. Wood, with its organic aesthetics, brings in elements of nature and vital force. Metal stands for strength, harshness and severity — its sharp contours and textures create a sense of tension and danger. This synthesis of materials is above all about emotional perception: they collide and coexist, drawing attention to the boundaries that arise in life, war and art.

The project also highlights the strength of spirit and resilience of Ukrainians: from the fragments of weapons aimed against us, unique works of art emerge — symbols of survival and a response to violence.

The exhibition brought together more than 50 compositions created in April–May 2023 in the workshops of three departments of the Lviv National Academy of Arts — Artistic Metal, Artistic Wood and Artistic Ceramics. Students worked together with teachers and graduates on experimental compositions, sharing experience across generations. Participants included Orest Ivasiuta, Oleh Bonkovskyi, Petro Hrytsiuk, Vasyl Bodnarchuk, Stepan Andrusiv, Volodymyr Ivanyshyn, Nazar Symotiuk and others. The work was coordinated by the heads of the departments, Orest Holubets, Ivan Frank and Nataliia Beniakh. Each piece has its own story, connected to the weapon fragments used in it.

My works in the exhibition

A white and a black wooden relief incorporating cartridge cases and weapon fragments, and a metal sculpture.

On the Edge — white wooden relief with cartridge cases by Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — white wooden relief with cartridge cases by Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — relief detail, Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — relief detail, Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — relief detail, Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — relief detail, Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — exhibition viewOn the Edge — black wooden reliefs with weapon fragments by Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — black wooden relief with weapon fragments by Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — relief detail, Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — relief detail, Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — metal sculpture by Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — metal sculpture by Nazar SymotiukOn the Edge — metal sculpture detail, Nazar Symotiuk

If you’d like to know more about any of the works, just write to me — I reply personally.