Janno McLaughlin & Iryna Pyrtko on Their Quilt for Ukraine and the Power of Art

Hello, we’re coming to you earlier than usual this week, but we wanted to share this story as soon as possible.
It’s easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed when it comes to hearing about the War in Ukraine.
 
But this chat is all about how the power of art - via an enormous patchwork quilt - is helping to re-connect kids across Ukraine and show them the world cares.
Australian artist Janno McLaughlin is brilliant. She lives with her family in Scone in regional Australia, and has spent most of her adult art life working between New York and slums in Buenos Aires, creating immersive art installations and exhibitions.

By chance, Janno met Ukrainian journalist Iryna Pyrtko-Moroz a few years ago when Janno was asked to judge an art competition in Ukraine, organised by Iryna, to help boost the many young kids affected by COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Fast forward to today, and these kids are now battling the horrors of war, with families having fled or in hiding and many of their schools bombed and destroyed. Janno reached out to Iryna, desperate to check if the young art students were ok, and to see how she could help, and from there Janno’s idea of creating a Christo-style, bright yellow sunflower quilt - with patches sent to her from people all over the world - was born. The huuuuge quilt would not only be a show of love for the kids, but could be draped over bombed buildings and landmarks.

Well - the quilt is now more than 100 metres long - more than 9,000 patches have been sent from Ukraine and around the world, and it’s just landed in London. First stop the Ukrainian Embassy and the Royal Albert Hall!! 
And from there, it goes to Ukraine. 

**And keep an eye out for the Quilt of Ukraine featuring at London’s Royal Albert Hall following the Proms concert by the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra on July 31. 

**And Janno is still collecting and sewing-in patches to add to the giant Quilt for Ukraine - so if you’d like to be involved you can post your 30cm x 30cm patch to Janno at:

Janno McLaughlin
PO BOX 746, 
Scone, NSW 2337.

SHOW NOTES

Janno on Instagram @jannoart

Iryna on Instagram @ira_pyrtko

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast, the Darug people. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.