Unseen Hands (2024)

March 2024
Protest Gallery Maidan Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine

The phrase "unseen hand" typically refers to an invisible force or influence that guides events or actions, often suggesting a sense of mysterious or subtle control.

“The force that leads us, inspires us and carries us through our journey, is one that is not always readily perceptible. ”

Ola has been bridging the gap between her grandmother's embroideries, which she created while imprisoned in the Gulag during WWII, and her own contemporary Ukrainian portraits and sculptures. She began realizing the effects of generational trauma while creating fabric collages and started to draw the connection between herself and her grandmother. Continuing this exploration, Rondiak discovered art as a means of bringing this transgenerational trauma into awareness in order to heal and transform the pain into strength. Through her creations, Rondiak processes her own pain from the current brutality of the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine, and also aims to inspire others and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Rondiak’s Motanka sculptures have played a significant role in her artistic journey of transcending the physical. Traditional Ukrainian Motanka ragdolls are historically passed down through generations, from mother to daughter, as a talisman for good health and fortune. Sometimes the recipient of the doll would not meet the original creator of the doll, though the energy was passed through spiritually, a thread of connection between generations. The origin of the word "Motanka" in Ukrainian, from "motaty," meaning "to wind," provides valuable insight into the naming of these traditional dolls and beautifully reflects the meditative process of their creation. The materials are wrapped and bound together to form the doll's body and although not perceptible to the human eye, this energy has the powerful strength that not only transcends life, death, time and generations but also has the potential to heal and protect.

Similar to the repetitive and meditative process of creating the Motankas, Rondiak has been cutting her canvases and weaving them through fences for years. Currently, Ukrainian volunteers, out of necessity, have begun weaving camouflage fencing and netting to send to the front lines. This parallel serves as another example of the “unseen hand” connecting Ola’s intuitive artistic expression with the themes of protection and healing.