An exhibition of artwork made on armor plates that saved the lives of Ukrainian soldiers opened in Lviv on December 27.
Ukrainian Body Armor Becomes Battle-Scarred Art
This icon of St. George slaying the dragon was painted on a piece of body armor taken from a Ukrainian soldier whose life was reportedly saved by the plate. Ballistic damage from two projectiles can be seen at the dragon's mouth and belly.
The unique artwork is part of an exhibition called ArtArmor that opened in Ukraine's western city of Lviv on December 27.
An artwork inspired by a piece of body armor that took a direct hit from a bullet, then soaked up fragmentation splashes.
The Lviv exhibition is made up of 12 pieces of art made from armor plates that reportedly stopped bullets or shrapnel while in use by Ukrainian soldiers fighting the Russian invasion.
A battle-damaged Kevlar plate with a map of Ukraine.
Organizers of the exhibition say they intend to raise money from the sale of the artworks to purchase more body armor for Ukrainian troops.
Visitors to the exhibition's opening inspect bullet damage on an armor plate.
The exhibition's website touts using "vest plates that have already saved someone's life on the battlefield getting a second chance to save a human life with the help of the talent of famous artists."
Two of the body armor artworks that make up the ArtArmor exhibition.
The exhibition is being held in the Lviv Historical Museum and has been funded by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.
The Ukrainian artists involved in the project include Ivan Marchuk, Tiberiy Silvashi, Nazar Bilyk, Petro Bevza, Yuriy Vakulenko, and Anton Logov. The armor plates bear the signatures of the soldiers who were wearing the protection when it was struck.
Iryna Yuferova, the curator of the exhibition, said during her speech to launch the project that while the different artists used their own metaphors in their respective artworks, each one "invariably leads us to an axiomatic conclusion: There is nothing more valuable in the world than human life."
Organizers say the exhibition will go on display throughout Europe in 2023, though locations have yet to be specified.