This is Tongass Voices, a series from KTOO sharing weekly perspectives from the homelands of the Áak’w Kwáan and beyond.
Svitlana Bell moved to Juneau from Ukraine after a few years of seasonal work to marry her husband and send more money back to her family.
Bell cleans houses during the day, but in the evenings, she spends hours quilting. Her quilts are intricate and full of color, with soft, curved lines. She sells her quilts — which are based on works by Ukrainian artist Lyubov Panchenko — to raise money for supplies for her brother Serhii Matviichuk who’s fighting on the front lines in Ukraine.
Bell will be showing her quilts at Changing Tides this Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. during Gallery Walk.
Listen:
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Svitlana Bell:
I do these numbers for myself to make a plan – what is first piece to another, and how connection. It’s like “eat elephant in small pieces,” you know? Make all together and that is it. It’s just like a Lego, yes.
I’m Svitlana Bell. This design, (by) Lyubov Panchenko, Ukrainian artist and she wasn’t so famous, because in Soviet Union you cannot be different. It was a different time. But she made a lot of beautiful pieces, and right now they are in museum in Kyiv.
She died in 2022 in Bucha when it was occupied by Russians and she was starving because she cannot leave house. It was very difficult time.
And when I find here these designs, I contact with that museum, I ask, “Can I try?” because I’m just learning to do quilt – I do only three years. I clean houses, I see a lot of blankets or stuff, and think, “I should try it!”
And Lyubov Panchenko’s design, I asked permission. They approved it and said, “Please try it, do it.” And so I was so happy. So I’m very excited. I hope someday when war finish there, and I will bring some of the best pieces to that museum.
You know, I have to rush, because I know if I sell, I can send money. If you have somebody who you love, you will do anything.
And, of course, how I can help brother here. He is in — like all Ukraine — in difficult time now, and he do what he has to do. But you always in risk.
I can show you some pictures they make. Here they look very tired. And you see they just came back from front line for couple days to rest.
Drones, mines, shootings that can just with one shot, can destroy all car and everybody in (it). Yeah, it’s very scary. Sometimes, like, we don’t breathe.
And waiting when he will be back and he say, “I’m safe now.” Because, yeah, war is war.
I think every immigrant – even before war from another countries – made such a huge decision – especially a woman who has kids – this, they are so brave. You need be so brave to be immigrant.
It’s America. It’s a lot of cultures here. It’s make this America beautiful and big and strong.
