AWM Appoints Stanislava Pinchuk as Official War Artist

29 Mar 2024

We are thrilled to announce that the Australian War Memorial has appointed Stanislava Pinchuk as the Australian Official War Artist to Operation Kudu.

In November 2023, Pinchuk travelled to the UK with AWM curatorial staff to document Operation Kudu, in which Australian troops are training Ukrainian recruits. The operation is part of a multinational training mission to support Ukraine’s national defence following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022.

Currently based in Sarajevo, Pinchuk said: ‘I am honoured to have been granted the open invitation and trust to be part of Operation Kudu in the capacity of Official War Artist. As both a Ukrainian and Australian, I felt incredibly proud to serve both my countries, in the capacity of such a difficult time and circumstance.’

Head of Art at the AWM, Laura Webster, said: ‘Stanislava is the first Official War Artist at the Australian War Memorial to be born in the country which is the subject of their work. We believe her personal connection to Ukraine, combined with her extensive field research, will bring complexity, understanding, and a deep emotional connection to her work.’

Pinchuk currently has an exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, titled The Theatre of War. This work includes footage shot by Pinchuk during her deployment to the UK in November 2023. Her artwork for the Memorial is due to be completed in late 2024.

Image by Stanislava Pinchuk, 2024. Courtesy of the artists and the Australian War Memorial, Canberra