We are excited to once again partner with the Arlington International Film Festival to host an event tied to a film in this year’s program. We have assembled a panel of speakers to discuss the documentary Porcelain War, a moving film that follows three Ukrainian artists’ struggle to find beauty amid the destruction of the Russian war. The film will screen on Saturday, November 9 starting at 2:30 pm at the Capitol Theater which is located across the street from the gallery. You may purchase tickets for the film here. Following the screening, there will be a reception and discussion at 13FOREST Gallery at 4:30 pm, which is free and open to the public. Read more about the film and event below.
Porcelain War documents the Russian war against Ukraine from the point of view of Ukrainian artists and other citizens now assuming the necessary role of soldier. Filmed during the early months of the war, the movie’s foreground of embattled country fields and disintegrating civilian centers is frequently interrupted by the quiet of artist studios. Two of the featured artists, a husband-and-wife team of porcelain makers, exemplify the creative, folkloric culture of Ukrainians as well as their fierce determination for national autonomy. Porcelain War is more than a statement about the human condition; it is a brilliant look into the talents, camaraderie, fears and will of Ukrainians now living under the direct threat of war and its possible existential aftermath.
Following the screening of Porcelain War on Saturday, November 9, 13FOREST Gallery will host a discussion about the film and Ukrainian culture. Addressing the art and determination of Ukrainians in this time of war, the discussion will be led by Katya Roberts and Nataliya Shpylova-Saeed, who collectively address Ukraine from artistic, personal and academic points of view. An installation from Roberts’ series Reclamation – Through the Woods will be on display during this special event, which will be moderated by gallery co-owner Jim Kiely.
About the Panelists
Katya Roberts, born in Kyiv, Ukraine, immigrated to the US at the age of 12 and eventually studied sociology and art at UCLA. Now living and working as an artist in New Hampshire, Roberts' multimedia and installation work has been shown across North America. She is highlighted on the cover of an award-winning book, The Motherhood of Art, which features her work and artistic process.
Nataliya Shpylova-Saeed is a faculty member of Harvard University's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies whose primary focus is on cultural memory and its conflicts in Ukraine from the period of the Russian Empire through the Soviet Union into the present. Shpylova-Saeed is the author of the 2024 book Russia’s Denial of Ukraine: Letters and Contested Memory, published by Lexington Books Press.
