An exhibition titled “WHERE HOME IS” by Zoe Sever, an Israeli artist of Ukrainian descent, has opened at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum in Kyiv with the support of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine.
“Zoya Sever’s exhibition shows Israel as we know and love it—vibrant, colorful, warm, and full of life. I encourage everyone to visit this exhibition and experience the atmosphere of Israel,” said Michael Brodsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine, during the exhibition’s opening.
The artist brought to Ukraine a selection of works created in her signature style using the vibrant colors of oil and acrylic. Each painting conveys an impression or memory, an image of the city, its atmosphere, and its inner magic.
Sever’s works feature the rooftops of Jerusalem, black and white cats, the streets of the Old City, and the biblical white donkey as a symbol of eternity. The central theme of the exhibition is the home as a place of strength, memory, and return.
The organizers note that for Jews, even after two thousand years of diaspora, Israel remained a point of anchor—a home that needed to be reclaimed and restored. In the exhibition, this theme is combined with the experience of Ukraine, which today is also fighting for its own home, a peaceful sky, and the right to a future.
“This exhibition unites us—Ukrainians and Israelis, soldiers and artists, dreamers and pragmatists. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Those who stand on the front lines for the sake of their own home,” reads the project description.
Zoya Sever is an Israeli artist who was born in Lviv. At age 16, she moved to Israel with her parents; she currently lives and works in Tel Aviv. She graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem with a degree in architecture.
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sever joined a volunteer group that provides protective gear to soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She is also the founder of the “United People of the Planet” foundation, which runs the “Window to Peace” project: the artist, together with children, paints the walls of shelters.
Sever is also an instructor for the “Trauma Coalition” in Ukraine. Her works are held in museums and private collections in Israel, the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
