5 days ago
Ukrainian artist's Dallas exhibit blends beauty, resilience
At just 10 years old, Hanna Chekodanova was captivated by the Ukrainian painting style known as Petrykivka.
"It was the motif, the flowers, the flow of flowers," she said.
Recognized by UNESCO as a global cultural treasure, Petrykivka is more than just art—it's identity. Chekodanova has built a successful career sharing it with the world.
This week, her paintings are on display at Dallas City Hall as part of the city's friendship agreement with Ukraine.
The exhibit isn't just about beauty—it's about survival.
"Ukrainians are having to protect their culture so drastically because that seems to be a target for Russia," said Chrystya Geremesz of the Ukrainian American Society of Texas. "So Ukrainians are showing resilience, showing the courage to stand up and say we have an identity."
When the war broke out, Chekodanova didn't want to leave her home, but she had no choice.
"She started hearing all of the drone attacks and missiles and sirens," Geremesz said.
Chekodanova came to the United States with her husband through the Uniting for Ukraine program. But earlier this year, the federal government paused it. Now, unable to extend her stay, she must return home this month.
"She feels really sad, and is very frustrated because she has to leave the United States and now after being here two years, has to start somewhere again," Geremesz said.
In North Texas, Chekodanova found a community. Just 10 months ago, she welcomed her first child.
"She's very grateful for America for having the opportunity to give birth to a child in a very peaceful environment," Geremesz said. "During this war, the targets were hospitals and so many women, pregnant women, have not been able to successfully deliver."
Chekodanova doesn't know what the future holds, but she's choosing to have faith. It's the title of a self-portrait with her son.
"Some may feel tenderness in it, others—strength, and some may see the very essence of life's continuity, enduring even through the darkest times," she writes on her website. "The composition extends a quiet invitation to trust in something greater, something felt not through words but through the heart."
Her art exhibit will be on display through Friday in the main lobby of Dallas City Hall.
