18/08/2026
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Ukrainian artist Anastasia Novikova exhibits in Haarlem: “We heal, but the cracks do not disappear”
By Annemieke Windt — Haarlems Dagblad, 17 August 2026
HAARLEM — Ukrainian artist Anastasia Novikova fled the war in Ukraine. Her first solo exhibition is now on view at Rasom in Haarlem.
She presents two series: “Broken Life” and “The Silence that lives under the Skin.”
The exhibition includes paintings on canvas, as well as works she creates on broken glass, which she reconnects using epoxy resin.
“It is a technique that I developed myself. The idea came to me quite spontaneously.
My son broke the glass of our neighbours’ glass coffee table. That broken glass made me think: it will never be the way it was before, but we can create something new from it.
That also represents Ukraine: wounded and damaged, but we are rebuilding. And we do not have to forget the cracks and the shards.”
The process
The process takes a lot of time. The small pieces of glass have to fit together properly. The epoxy resin needs time to dry. Then she creates her painting on the surface and applies another layer of epoxy resin over it.
In the “Broken Life” series, it is clear that Novikova has also gone through a search for the right foundation for her glass paintings.
“I started with canvas, but it is not strong enough to support the glass. Then I tried wood, but for my latest paintings I have been using chicken wire as a base.”
A story with cracks
Novikova began her career as an artist by studying Art Education in Kyiv.
Four years ago, she came to the Netherlands and now lives in Enkhuizen. Here, she built a new life and joined a painting club.
Her paintings have previously been shown during Rotterdam Art Week.
“That was a group exhibition. This is the first time I am exhibiting on my own.”
Her background in art education also plays an important role.
“I have worked with refugee children who had lost their parents. We drew and painted together, so they could give their experiences of the war a place.”
