Introduction and about Refuge Gallery
The Refuge Gallery serves as a venue for exhibitions of artistic work relating to humanitarian and social justice issues. Using art as a means to illuminate, educate and provoke, the Refuge Gallery seeks to bring the Fordham community closer to the injustices experienced by our fellow global citizens.
Our vision is to create a stimulating environment encouraging of cultural and artistic inquiry through a social justice lens for our students, neighbors, artists, and the humanitarian sector — not only at the Institute but at Fordham University as a whole. Please email Sergei Chapnin, Wartime Beauty Curator, and joins us from The Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University (OCSC)., for a guided tour of the artwork schapnin@fordham.edu or you may visit the Refuge Gallery for a self-guided tour.
Artist Introductions
Sofia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko
The Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University (OCSC) has unveiled a milestone exhibition, Wartime Beauty, marking a historic moment for contemporary Christian art from Ukraine. Curated by Sergei Chapnin, the exhibition presents recent works by Ukrainian iconographers Sofia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko, highlighting unique blend of traditional iconography in a modern context.
This exhibition is a collaboration between The Refuge Gallery and C-Icon Art Gallery and signifies a shared commitment to exploring contemporary interpretations of Christian art and supporting the Ukrainian people in their quest for freedom and independence. At the heart of the exhibition is Mariupol Deisis (2022), a striking series of 11 icons from Atlantova and Klymenko’s Icons on Ammo Boxes project. Chapnin explains, “Their work departs from certain Byzantine iconographic conventions, not as a rejection, but as a bold reimagining of Eastern Orthodox tradition, reminding us of the enduring desire for beauty that resonates with prayer.” The artists encourage viewers to look beyond the rough, unrefined wood of the ammo boxes, signaling that the spiritual authenticity of their work emerges through each viewer’s perception.
Since its inception amid Ukraine’s struggle in 2014, Icons on Ammo Boxes has reshaped how sacred art addresses themes of suffering and resilience. In a time of conflict, holy icons—traditional symbols of holiness and the communion of saints in the Orthodox Christian tradition—reflect the fractures of war yet continue to declare the abiding presence of God, His Holy Mother, and the Saints alongside human anguish.
Running from November 12, 2023, to January 25, 2025, at The Refuge Gallery, this exhibition not only celebrates the collaboration between OCSC and The Refuge Gallery but also sets a foundation for future explorations of Christian art in a changing world.
Guided tours are available upon request.
Sergei Chapnin noted, “It was a true blessing to bring these icons from Ukraine, and we hope the exhibition will inspire Fordham’s faculty, students, and guests, as well as audiences in other U.S. cities and universities.”
To learn more about the artists, stay tuned for our exhibit opening in January.
Meet the Artists and Curator of 'Wartime Beauty'
Icons on Ammunition Boxes Art Project
In 2015, shortly after the Russian invasion in the Donbas region, Sonia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko, a Ukrainian husband-wife artistic team, initiated the Icons on Ammo Boxes Art Project. They started to paint sacred images on wooden lids from ammunition boxes left by Russian soldiers on the battlefields in Ukraine, and sell them to provide funding for mobile hospitals and other charitable projects. Since Russia began the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the project continues to reflect the strong desire of Ukrainians to witness that life (traditionally represented by icons in Eastern Christianity) will inevitably overcome death (symbolized by ammo boxes).
Sofia Atlantova (born in 1981 and based in Kyiv) is an artist and writer. She studied at the Kyiv Shevchenko State Art School and the National Academy of Art and Architecture. Sofia Atlantova works in monumental and easel art, book illustration, and installation art.
Oleksandr Klymenko (born in 1976 and based in Kyiv) is an artist, art critic, and writer. He graduated from the National Academy of Art and Architecture in 1998 and completed a post-graduate course at the Rylskyi Institute of Art History, Folklore, and Ethnography in 2002. He taught at the Kyiv Boychuk State Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design and the High Humanitarian and Theological Courses in Kyiv. Oleksandr Klymenko works in the field of monumental and easel arts.
Sergei Chapnin (born in 1968 and based in New York since 2022) is a journalist, publisher, and curator of contemporary Christian art. A graduate of Moscow State University (1992), Chapnin has taught at the Faculty of Theology at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Christian University and served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate until 2015. His expertise in Christian art has led him to curate significant exhibitions across Belarus, Finland, France, and Russia, where he has contributed to the dialogue on faith, art, and modern culture.
Opening Reception of Intimacy of Prayer
Entitled Wartime Beauty, these paintings were done by Sonia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko, a Ukrainian husband-wife artistic team. The Refuge Gallery invites everyone, including class visits, to witness the beautiful yet telling story of Ukraine November 2024 – January 2025.
The exhibition was curated by Sergei Chapnin, Faculty of Theology at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Christian University and served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate until 2015
Visit Us
The Refuge Gallery is open to all for viewing Monday – Thursday 10 am-4pm or by appointment. Please ring the bell for the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.
Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs
2nd Floor, Canisius Hall, Fordham University
2546 Belmont Ave, The Bronx, NY 10458
Directions to Canisius Hall can be found below:
Canisius Hall is best accessed via Belmont Ave. Buses BX9, BX12, BX17, BX22 stop on East Fordham Rd, only steps away from our entrance. The Fordham Train Station is about five blocks away 417 E Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY 10458. Two hour parking is available on Belmont Ave, however, is limited.
To view a map of Rose Hill campus click here. You will find Canisius Hall outside of the pedestrian entrance in between O’Hare and Faculty Memorial.
Contact refugegallery@fordham.edu for gallery appointments and inquiries
Support the Refuge Gallery
Every like and share spreads the word about our artists. Please consider sharing Chester’swork here. Donate to the Refuge Gallery here.
The Refuge Gallery serves as a venue for exhibitions of artistic work relating to humanitarian and social justice issues. Using art as a means to illuminate, educate and provoke, the Refuge Gallery seeks to bring the Fordham community closer to the injustices experienced by our fellow global citizens.
Our vision is to create a stimulating environment encouraging of cultural and artistic inquiry through a social justice lens for our students, neighbors, artists, and the humanitarian sector — not only at the Institute but at Fordham University as a whole. Please visit the IIHAs Refuge Gallery located in the Bronx to learn more about Sonia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko and view their work from Wartime Beauty schapnin@fordham.edu.
To contact Refuge Gallery for collaboration, proposal, or general inquiry please email refugegallery@fordham.edu.
