02/24/2026
February 24th 2026, a day marking four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Four years that have profoundly and forever reshaped the history of Ukraine as a country and its people. Across Canada and around the world, communities gather in solidarity and remembrance.
Throughout these four years, history, art, and culture do not stop, artists are not silenced, the truth is still told, and voices are given to those who had them unjustly stolen.
One of the pieces that has emerged from this tradition of resilience and the need to create and honour is “Trapped in Heaven’s Gate,” part of the collection Ghosts Don’t Cross Borders, a series of works reflecting on the human cost of the war in Ukraine through memory, loss, and justice — a refusal to forget what war leaves behind.
Created by Canadian Darcy Ataman, who is a powerhouse in creativity, humanitarian work, music production, and the founder of the Healing in Harmony music therapy program, which was established to support survivors of conflict and trauma through art and music. His work focuses on healing, memory, and giving voice to those affected by war — themes that are potent in projects like this.
Through international collaborations, including Ukrainian Artists United, Ataman brings together artists to share human stories of resilience and loss, using creative expression as a tool for awareness, remembrance, and hope.
The artwork is made from repurposed metal, wood, and cloth gathered from Ukrainian battlefields in the Kherson region and follows the ready-made artistic tradition. At its centre is a stork formed from Russian shrapnel and tank fragments—a powerful symbol in Ukrainian culture representing fallen warriors, renewal, love, and hope.
Confined within a glass vitrine and weighed down by the debris of war, the stork embodies both tragedy and resilience. Symbols of resistance and hope appear throughout the piece, including the guelder rose and an embroidered line by Taras Shevchenko: “O bury me, then rise ye up.”
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
