Gallery

Art, much like a daily cup of coffee, has the power to ground us, offer comfort, and bring communities together. The relief sculptures on display are born directly from this space. In my practice, I explore the intricate relationship between botanical structures, cultural identity, and memory. By repurposing the daily spent coffee grounds from Zamarut Ukrainian Family Coffee Shop, alongside coastal chalk, sand, and discarded paints, I transform everyday waste into deeply tactile landscapes that push outward into the viewer's space.

My engagement with these reclaimed materials is deeply intertwined with my personal journey as a refugee. In navigating displacement, I have found vital resources, grounding, and new beginnings within discarded matter. By taking the coffee waste produced by this specific community and giving it a second life, the materials themselves become active participants in a narrative of survival, resourcefulness, and reinvention.

In this series, I focus on three distinct blooms that hold profound personal resonance, representing the three nations that shape my life and practice: the vibrant sunflower of Ukraine, the resilient coastal thistle of England, and the striking protea of South Africa. The dark, rich centres and rugged slopes of these flowers are given their physical weight by the coffee grounds sourced right here. They serve as tactile sanctuaries, celebrating the beautiful persistence of the natural world and the deeply rooted connections that bridge diverse landscapes and cultures.