🎨 Liudmyla Makey

Liudmyla Makey is a Ukrainian journalist, artist, intuitive teacher, and passionate advocate for creativity as a source of healing and connection. With a background in education and journalism, she brings warmth, depth, and a touch of humor to every workshop she leads.

Her journey into art began over a decade ago — at first, simply as a personal outlet. “I started painting to keep all my colorful thoughts in order,” she says with a smile. But what began as a private passion quickly grew into a powerful tool for inspiring others.

Today, Liudmyla teaches Petrykivka folk art, coffee painting, and expressive watercolour, often working with women and displaced communities. Her sessions are filled with discovery — especially for those who haven’t held a paintbrush since childhood.

During her three years living in Pristina, Lyudmila held three solo exhibitions (2023 Flowers Against War, 2024 The World in My Palms, 2025 Bright on Black). These were not only artistic, but also charitable events: she sent the money from the sale of her paintings to Ukraine to help people who suffered during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Her paintings were purchased by many famous people, including the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, the German Ambassador to Kosovo Jorn Rode, the soprano Arta Jashari, and others.

Liudmyla believes that art is not about perfection — it's about returning to joy, reconnecting with yourself, and sharing beauty in uncertain times. Her mother once told her: “If you’re struggling, find someone who’s struggling more — and help them.” That spirit of empathy and service is at the heart of everything she does.

From toddlers to seniors, from skeptics to dreamers — Liudmyla creates a space where everyone can feel the magic of creation, often for the first time.

“You should have seen their eyes,” she says, recalling a recent coffee-painting workshop with Ukrainian women in Pristina. “Most of them had never painted before, but suddenly — flowers, birds, trees began to bloom on the page.”