This project began as a set of flyposters Hawrysio placed in public spaces around London at the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The images depicted civilians killed in the early days of the war. After several months, the artist documented the posters’ transformation, creating an edition of three booklets that juxtapose the original flyers with photographs of their subsequent exposure to the elements and human intervention.

The booklets were exhibited at the Chelsea College of Arts Library in 2026 to mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion. The exhibition also featured the book Bound Liberty, which was ceremonially covered by a Ukrainian flag on 14 February.

From the first days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a new reality emerged for people of Ukrainian heritage such as Denise Hawrysio. Notions of sovereignty, democracy, and social responsibility suddenly took on a heightened sense of urgency. Since the beginning of the war, Denise has been searching for ways to respond to the atrocities unfolding in Ukraine—an immensely difficult task in the face of ongoing brutality and genocide. The body of work in this exhibition includes collages, artist books, postcards, works on paper, and embroidery by Hawrysio plus selected works on paper by Ukrainian artist Stanislav Turina.

Exhibition text, Chelsea College of Arts Library, 2026