Constance Uzwyshyn
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About
Research Topic: Temporal Echoes of Violence: The Palimpsest of Violence in the War Art from Ukraine
Supervisor: Dr Olenka Pevny
My academic foundation lies in fine arts and history of art, particularly sculpture, printmaking and jewellery design (Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze) (1986), with a specialisation in history of art and classics (Etruscan archaeology) (University of Alberta, Canada and Naples, Italy) (1990).
Over time, my focus has evolved towards contemporary art, specifically Ukrainian art and the dynamics of the contemporary art market, shaped by my experiences living in Ukraine since 1991. That year, I relocated from Edinburgh University (postgraduate studies) to Kyiv after being awarded a scholarship to continue my research on the artworks of Oleksandra Exter. This marked a transformative period in my career, as Ukraine’s newly gained independence offered an unparalleled opportunity to engage with its burgeoning art scene.
In 1993, I organised Ukraine’s first art auction to benefit the Ukrainian National Museum. Building on this initiative, I collaborated with the international business community in Ukraine and esteemed jury members Amanda Sharpe (co-founder of Frieze Art Fair) and Ineke Schwartz (Dutch art critic) to establish and direct the Great Ukrainian Women’s Art Exhibition (from 1995 to 1998). I later founded and served as Director of ARTEast Gallery (1997-2004), the first private commercial art gallery in Kyiv, dedicated to promoting Ukrainian contemporary art. In 2004, I returned to the United Kingdom.
Before embarking on my doctoral studies, I completed a professional qualification in Interior and Spatial Design at Chelsea College of Arts (2011), followed by a master’s degree in the Art Market and Appraisal (now Art Business) at Kingston University London, where my dissertation focused on the Emergence of the Ukrainian Art Market (2021).
Publications
Uzwyshyn, Constance. Alevtina Kakhidze: Windows, Signs of Peace, (SCHUNCK Museum, Netherlands, 2024).
Uzwyshyn, Constance and Peter Bejger, ‘Three Stories of Art and War: Olesia Ostrovska (Mystetskyi Arsenal), Bozhena Pelenska (Jam Factory Art Centre) and Mykhailo Glubokyi (Izolyatsia)’, Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics, and Art, 2 (2022), 315-331.
Uzwyshyn, Constance and Peter Bejger, ‘In Conversation with Oleg Tistol, Ukrainian Artist’, Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics, and Art, 2 (2022), 364-372.
Uzwyshyn, Constance and Yevdokia Sokil ‘In Conversation with Mariya Ionova (MP), Member of Ukrainian Parliament’, Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics, and Art, 2 (2022), 359-363.
Curated Art Exhibitions (excluding ARTEast Gallery)
Constance Uzwyshyn (cur.) et al. (cur.), Artists for Ukraine, Farnham: St Andrew’s Church, October – December 2022.
Conference Papers
‘The Palimpsest of Violence in the War Art from Ukraine: Alevtina Kakhidze’, The International Council for Central and East European Studies (ICCEES) XI World Congress, University College London, London, 21-25 July 2025.
Languages
English (native)
Ukrainian (acquiring proficiency)
Italian (intermediate)
Russian (basic)
French (basic)
Research
My PhD dissertation examines how the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered depictions of violence in war art from Ukraine, particularly those created during the early months of the invasion. This immediate and visceral violence has activated palimpsestic temporalities of violence, highlighting that Russian aggression is not an isolated act but part of a historical and ongoing pattern. I argue that the invasion represents a conjuncture that has unleashed artistic expressions of slow violence. These artworks challenge epistemological frameworks rooted in agnotology and invite deeper exploration of Ukraine’s history and geopolitical significance. I position the artists’ work within a broader transnational context, incorporating a desire-based framework that foregrounds artists’ agency and relevance to visual culture beyond the war and outside Ukraine.
Teaching and supervision
Course Programming and Teaching
Coordinator, curator, and lecturer for Kultura Course, Ukrainian Institute London (nine seminars on Ukrainian visual culture with 35 full-time and 36 part-time students)
Guest lecturer at Central Saint Martins, Royal Academy of Arts, Dom Master Klass:
- Ukrainian Contemporary Art
- Ukrainian Art from Independence
- Emergence of the Ukrainian Art Market onto the Global Stage
- What is the Value of Art? An Exploration of the Ukrainian Art Market and the Impact of the Russian Full-scale Invasion in Ukraine
Other Roles
I continue to serve as:
- Art Advisor for The Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics and Art (CJLPA)
- Creative Industries Advisor to the Ukrainian Institute London (UIL)
- Founder of Art Arsenal World Foundation (AaW) www.artarsenalworld.org
- Board Member of the Foundation to Preserve Ukraine’s Sacral Arts
- Member of Art Lawyers Association (ALA)
- Member of the University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam College’s Fine Art Committee
- Founder of ZhahaDesigns