THE ROLE OF VISUAL ART IN EMOTIONAL RECOVERY DURING CRISIS SITUATIONS: A CASE STUDY OF UKRAINIAN DISPLACEMENT

Abstract

The conflict that continues in Ukraine has caused massive displacement, leaving the affected communities in a state of acute psychological torment, trauma, and identity and belonging disruptions. Non-verbal and creative methodologies for dealing with emotions in crisis contexts have received growing scholarly interest. This paper explores how visual art can help displaced Ukrainian people to recover emotionally. In a qualitative case study approach, the study investigates the benefits of engaging in artistic practice, including drawing, painting, and symbolic visual representation as a means of working with trauma, identity rebuilding, and psychological resilience building.

Semi-structured interviews and visual artefact analysis were used as data collection methods of displaced participants who were involved in art-based practices in a humanitarian or community supportive environment. The findings disclose that visual art is a critical therapeutic instrument that helps people to externalize complicated emotions, which in many cases are hard to put words to. Those who participated noted a decreasing amount of stress, an increase in emotional awareness, and a fresh perception of agency and self-expression. Moreover, communal art was observed to enhance social bonds and collective coping among communities in the displaced people.

The current research will be of value to the scientific community on art-based interventions in crises and displacement contexts, as it notes the transformative power of visual art in emotion recovery. The implications of the findings on humanitarian, mental health providers, and policymakers include incorporating psychosocial support strategies based on their findings as policies in conflict-based regions in a culturally sensitive and accessible way.