Ex Umbra in Lucem (2025) 绘画 由 Tetiana Vlasenko

"I created this work in spring, when I witnessed for the first time how horse chestnuts begin to open — that delicate moment when the inflorescence is not yet blooming, but already awakening. There was something deeply touching about it, and I felt a strong desire to preserve that fleeting moment on paper.

To me, chestnut trees are more than just a part of nature. They are a symbol of Kyiv, and at the same time, a symbol of all Ukrainians scattered across the world by fate — especially those now living in Canada. Chestnuts connect us with home through an invisible thread, no matter where we are. I dedicate this piece to the Day of Kyiv’s founding — to the city that lives in the heart of each of us.

This botanical illustration explores the beauty of the natural cycle through the image of a horse chestnut branch (Aesculus hippocastanum) in its moment of spring awakening. The transition from graphite tones to vibrant color symbolizes movement — both the physical development of the plant from bud to leaf and inflorescence, and the metaphorical path from stillness to vitality, from potential to presence.

The title “Ex Umbra in Lucem” (From Shadow into Light) expresses the essence of this transformation — not only in a biological sense, but also in a philosophical one. It is a moment of awakening, of gradually gaining form, color, and life"