Hello,My name is Svitlana Yurchenko.
I'm a Ukrainian artist from the city of Kyiv. I was born in 1988 in a small town called Pivdennoukrainsk. My mother worked in construction, and my father at a nuclear power plant.

photo by Yuliia Gekhman

As a child, I came across a few old graphic sketches made by my parents in their youth. That was the first spark that inspired me to try drawing as well. Back then, I would sketch from time to time, but none of those pieces were ever really finished.
Toward the end of 2012, at the age of 23, I began experimenting with watercolor. I don’t have formal art education, so during the first year, I simply got used to the paints and slowly began to understand how they work.

photo by Yuliia Gekhman

Painting is a huge part of what defines me as a person — but it’s far from the whole picture. At 23, I ventured into riding different types of boards. By 27, it was a skateboard specifically — and it swept me into a whirl of emotion I hadn’t felt anywhere else.
The video of me finally landing my first kickflip — after three years of trying — went viral.You can find it, for example, here. It’s fun.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, my life changed so dramatically that it would be impossible to describe it briefly here. From the autumn of 2022 onward, I spent most of the following years in the Donetsk region. Together with Base UA team, we evacuated civilians, worked with children, provided first aid, and helped rebuild homes that had been destroyed. We remained there until September 2026, when we left Kramatorsk due to the security situation. Currently, our focus is on relocating large families from frontline areas.

Since the summer of 2025, I have also been a member of the Hospitallers Medical Battalion.

photo by Madison Tuff

Despite everything, the online shop is still running, so there is always an opportunity to order something that brings a little joy and comfort during these difficult times.