Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak

About This Interview

In this interview, I had the privilege of speaking with Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak, a deeply insightful artist whose work is profoundly shaped by her experiences and cultural heritage. We began by discussing her early exposure to art, which was nurtured in a creative household where activities like embroidery, sewing, and baking were common. Lydia shared that her fascination with making marks and creating images began at a young age, as she loved drawing, even making large chalk drawings on the streets outside her house. This early engagement with art laid the foundation for her later studies and career as an artist.

Lydia talked about how she didn’t take art classes in high school but attended weekly drawing and painting classes at the Cleveland Art Museum. Her passion for art deepened during her college years, especially after a transformative trip to Italy at the age of 18, where she encountered the masterpieces she had previously only seen in books. This experience marked the beginning of her serious study of art, although she hadn’t initially planned to become an artist.

We then delved into Lydia’s first visit to Ukraine in the 1990s, which she described as a pivotal moment in her life and work. Despite feeling her "Americanness" due to being born in a free country, she felt a deep connection to her Ukrainian roots. This trip sparked her interest in creating art that tells the story of Ukraine, especially lesser-known events like the Holodomor, a topic many in Ukraine were unaware of at the time. Lydia expressed how this experience led her to pursue artwork that bears witness to meaningful past and current events, creating a dialogue between the viewer and the historical narratives she explores.

Lydia’s use of collage became a central theme in our conversation. She explained how she uses this medium to piece together fragments of text and imagery, creating visual narratives that communicate complex stories. Her process involves collecting print media clippings, cultural artifacts, and personal mementos, which she arranges on canvas or board. Through this method, Lydia aims to evoke a sense of dialogue, inviting viewers to engage with the layers of meaning within her work.

We also discussed how recent events, particularly the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2020, have influenced her work. Lydia shared her experience as a Fulbright scholar, where she had planned to engage with Ukrainian artists but had to move to Poland due to the war. This experience, combined with her ongoing interactions with Ukrainian refugees, has deepened her commitment to documenting the war through her art.

Lydia reflected on the responsibility of artists to engage with social and political issues, emphasizing that while not all artists are activists, everyone should be aware of what is happening in the world. She spoke about the importance of respecting human dignity and working toward democracy, values that are central to her work.

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation was when Lydia discussed her piece "Will the Grass Grow Over It?", which addresses the tension between forgetting and remembering in the context of the Holodomor. She described how the piece incorporates images of the dead and starving, overlaid with blades of grass, symbolizing both the potential for healing and the danger of forgetting. This metaphor of nature reclaiming evidence of horrific acts serves as a poignant reminder of the need to remember and bear witness to history.

Throughout our conversation, Lydia's dedication to using her art to challenge misleading narratives and honor the victims of genocide was clear. She spoke passionately about the role of art in preserving history and fostering understanding, and I left our discussion deeply inspired by her commitment to truth and justice through her work. Lydia's upcoming projects, including her ongoing exploration of the war in Ukraine, promise to continue this powerful legacy.