Artists in solidarity with Ukraine

Peace in Europe disrupted

In the last week of February, the lives of millions of Ukrainian residents changed irreversibly as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The country neighbouring Poland was plunged into a war that triggered a humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people sought refuge in neighbouring states. On 13 March, the Polish Border Guard reported that 1.7 million people had already reached Poland from war-affected areas.

To date, an estimated 2.7 million civilians have crossed the Ukrainian border into Central Europe, making this the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War. The plight of Ukrainians was met with a united response from Western Europe. Numerous financial and material collections were launched, and many Poles headed directly to the border to help. Businesses also responded — many withdrew Russian-imported or Russian-produced goods from their offerings and joined efforts to aid those in need.

Artists lend their support

Artists also chose to express their support for Ukraine's heroic struggle. Much like during the pandemic, when a series of murals carrying the message "It's going to be alright" could be seen across the city, the statement was made through the language of impactful visual communication. This time, the result of the artistic response is three peace murals in Warsaw, offering direct support to refugees on the streets. One of them appeared in a symbolic location — at the United Nations Roundabout.

"The information, images and footage coming out of Ukraine are alarming. This situation has caught us all off guard, and we feel as though we are witnessing a grim return to the darker chapters of 20th-century history. We decided to express our support in the most natural way for us — through impactful visual communication on the streets of Warsaw. We also have other initiatives planned to support those in need, but what matters most to us right now is speaking out on an issue that no one can remain indifferent to. We want the citizens of Ukraine to know that we support them wholeheartedly in the face of Russia's invasion, and we hope they will prevail in their fight for their national identity. Peace is a right that belongs to every human being, and we hope it will soon return to Ukraine as well. We say no to war and to the deaths of innocent people." — says Piotr Ruszkowski, President of Good Looking Studio.

The completed works could be admired at Smolna 15, Parkingowa Street (at the level of Nowogrodzka 27), and the UN Roundabout (Jana Pawła II Avenue 18).

All murals were a grassroots initiative by Good Looking Studio, carried out on a voluntary basis.