The Corridor of Hope Forest

30 sq.meters mural at Moira Anderson Foundation, Airdrie.

This mural project appeared in my life unexpectedly, leaving a deep imprint on my soul. It was like one of those big and gentle waves that break on the shore, leaving the earth transformed and ready for new growth...

It started straight after a passionate speech I gave at the Rotary Club Edinburgh about my art.

Among those present at this meeting was a social activist and writer Sandra Brown, a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the Rotary Club. She enthusiastically suggested that I create an image of an empty wall in the corridor of a charity in Airdrie (near Glasgow). She briefly described the scale of work, calling it a Corridor of Hope, where children usually pass. At that time I had no idea what this charity is serving for...

On the way to the site, Sandra shared the story of the organization, stemming from her personal story, which gave me goosebumps. What huge forces are behind her, brave woman, the daughter of a pedophile and potential killer, to fight for justice in the still unsolved case of an 11-year-old girl Moira, who went missing for over 60 years ago! The exceptional case is described in detail in her book "Where There Is Evil." Find link at bottom of page.

The book, written in the late 1990s, generated a lot of publicity in Scotland and beyond, giving her the opportunity, connections and funds to devote her active life helping the victims of sexual abuse. She set up a charity, a safe rehab center in Airdrie, named after the girl - Moira Anderson Foundation.

Turning on all the senses, observing, listening to the client's requests while visiting the site allows me to correctly understand the need and thereby create a connection with the space.

After 4 weeks, I had a vision. I was about to sleep when I suddenly felt someone's gentle presence next to me. It gave me warmth and guiadance what should be there on the wall. It should be the Spirit of the Forest! I saw a picture of a lush green forest with an avenue of mighty trees in the center and many forest creatures roaming through a living, flourishing and safe space.

Reflecting on the safety aspect of the forest, I was reminded of my previous work commissioned on my arrival in Scotland in April 2022 by another charity, Artist's Project Earth (APE). This London-based organization aims to make the world a better place by using the power of art to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The request from the organization was to portray... The Spirit of the Forest!

Working on this topic, I had to explore the diversity of forests and their opposite qualities. I spent all my childhood in Ukraine living near the native woods. For me, the forest is associated with safety and tranquility, walking through which has always filled and recharged me. I also feel safe in the Scottish woods, especially in the forest of Tyninghame near Dunbar, which seemed to me the most peaceful. My son named it the Magic Forest because of the burial site right in the woods.

Nevertheless, my clients from APE needed a different forest – diverse Brazilian Rainforest, teeming with a variety of living creatures, and therefore dangerous! After all, this is the Amazon - a forest in which the victim has to disguise himself in order to survive, and the predator has to use bright colors to attract prey. So, unlike the forest I grew up in and where I lived nearby in Scotland, my first painting, The Spirit of the Forest, depicted the vibrancy and variety of the dangerous rainforest! Click here to view the painting and read about it. Although it seemed strange, I thought that one day I could balance it by painting the Magic Forest, emphasizing its peaceful qualities.

Thus, just in a year, working on Corridor of Hope mural at MAF, I had a vision of the Spirit of the Forest, embodying the Security and Tranquility.

Given that the mural viewers are mostly the victims of a dangerous world in their real lives – there was a strong need to create a safe and peaceful space that favors their trust and, ultimately, healing.

Danger and Safety like Life and Death always go side by side. And in the safest forest, it can be boring without some drive and rapid growth. And in the most dangerous forests - there are shelters for care and compassion. Everyone chooses according to his nature.

These two projects of mine, completely different in style, scale and media, clearly showed me that the universal Spirit of the Forest lies beyond the Safety or Danger. It is embodied in the deep interweaving of the roots and branches of different trees, supporting and nourishing each other, forming a strong holistic “community”, uniting into a single large living organism.

And if we become like trees that live in close interaction with the rest of the community, the deeper we are rooted and intertwined, the more resilient we become, and the more confidently we endure dangerous times. We can’t be blown over.