Art for Ukraine: Christchurch

Art for Ukraine: Christchurch is a free public exhibition created to bring people closer to the human realities of the war in Ukraine and support children affected by the conflict.

Building on a successful 2025 Wellington pilot that welcomed around 200 visitors and received media coverage, the exhibition combines original canvas paintings with powerful photographs by internationally acclaimed photojournalists.

With support from Life in Vacant Spaces, I am raising funds through Boosted to bring the exhibition to central Christchurch, creating a space where art, storytelling and participation can turn empathy into action.

I am the artist, curator and organiser behind Art for Ukraine.

My grandparents lived through the Korean War, and South Korea survived with support from 21 United Nations countries, including New Zealand. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I felt compelled to respond.

Alongside my full-time work as a senior engineer, I spent three years creating seven original canvas paintings and developing the exhibition. I personally shaped the concept, secured a venue, obtained permissions from internationally recognised photojournalists, coordinated suppliers and volunteers, and delivered the four-week Wellington exhibition in 2025.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenseo

Contributing photojournalists include Brendan Hoffman, Carol Guzy, Evgeniy Maloletka, Laurel Chor, Paula Bronstein and Timothy Fadek/Redux.

The Christchurch exhibition is supported by Life in Vacant Spaces, a Christchurch-based placemaking organisation that helps to activate vacant urban spaces through creative and community projects.

Boosted funding will help deliver the exhibition professionally while keeping it free to the public.

I am aiming to raise $4,000 - the minimum amount needed to activate the exhibition. Any funding raised above this target will strengthen the exhibition’s production, promotion and public engagement.

Funds will contribute towards:
   •   Exhibition printing and production
   •   Display and installation materials
   •   Transport and freight
   •   Venue activation and operational costs
   •   Signage, marketing and public engagement
   •   Project coordination, on-site delivery and contingency costs

The exhibition is planned to run for three to four weeks in August 2026, subject to successful crowdfunding and space availability.

Boosted funding will cover exhibition delivery and remain separate from charitable donations and the share of profits donated through product sales.

The world faces urgent crises, yet we have never been more disconnected. Smartphones and personalised algorithms narrow what we see, while the rise of AI-generated imagery has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from fiction. Now more than ever, global crises feel too distant for ordinary people to meaningfully engage with.

Art for Ukraine was created to reduce that distance.

Original paintings offer an emotional interpretation of the conflict, while verified photojournalism grounds the exhibition in documented reality. Participatory experiences give visitors meaningful ways to reflect, express solidarity and contribute. This is not an exhibition people simply observe. It is a space where awareness becomes action.

The project forms part of CHANGEMAKERx, an emerging social venture I created to help turn empathy into real-world impact through art-led exhibitions and purpose-driven products.

The project will bring a free and meaningful art experience to Christchurch while transforming a vacant central-city space into a place for reflection, connection and participation.

Through original paintings and verified photojournalism, it will help audiences see the people behind the headlines and understand the human cost of war.

The exhibition will also continue its transparent giving model. Visitors can donate directly, while 50% of net operating profits from purpose-led product sales will support the Voices of Children Foundation, a trusted Ukrainian charity that has supported children affected by conflict since 2015.

By backing this campaign, supporters will help turn a distant crisis into a human story and empathy into meaningful action.