Over the last seven months, Polina and Julia have been part of a group of individuals working alongside the Array Collective at Rua Red.

All materials will be provided, but do bring a covering to protect your clothes.

This workshop is taking place this Culture Night in partnership with Tallaght Community Arts.

Polina Kozka

Polina Kozka is originally from Poltava, Ukraine. She studied Gold Art Embroidery at the Odesa Theological Seminary. She also studied psychology at the Odesa University I.I.Mechnikov. Graduated from the European School of Design in Kyiv.

Polina creates interior paintings using mixed media, mostly texture paste and metallic paint. She believes that our surroundings affect our mood and that the true nature of her artworks is revealed in interaction with space. Polina uses gold in her work, an echo of her studying gold embroidery - which is valuable for its play of light. As an interior designer, she believes that the use of texture allows her to enrich different spaces with depth and shadows while leaving room for the imagination.

Polina arrived in Ireland in March 2022 with her two kids. She has been volunteering at the Double Take Studio at Rua Red with Ukranians with special needs. She is also involved in conducting Master Classes for Ukranian refugees with members of the Array Collective from Belfast. She has participated in group exhibitions at Gallery X, Bloom exhibition in Phoenix Park, had a solo exhibition in Gallery X, and has participated in a group exhibition at Berkley Gallery in Thomastown.

Yulia Kovalenko

Yulia Kovalenko is a handicraft master from Odesa, Ukraine. Yulia Graduated from Odesa National University after studying art. While living in Ukraine she took part in many craft exhibitions.

Yulia arrived in Ireland in June 2022 where she continues to draw and create. She helps Ukrainians master various painting techniques, decoupage, sculpture, and much more. She is also involved in running workshops for Ukrainian refugees with members of the Belfast-based collective Array.