Ukrainian refugee's dog inspires stunning art collection

A stunning dog portrait collection inspired by a Ukrainian refugee’s golden retriever is set to feature at Ireland’s largest art fair.

Laura Medvedieva was forced out of her native country by the Russian invasion but was unable to leave her beloved pet Rix behind.

To remember the comfort he provided her and her teenage son in their darkest days, the artist has created incredible paintings of the nine native Irish dog breeds, to appear alongside the biggest Irish and international artists at Art Source in the RDS this weekend from November 15, 2024.

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Laura explained: "I wanted to do something to reciprocate my gratitude to dogs. I couldn’t leave Rix - I had him since he was 30 days old, it would have been like leaving a family member.

The artist, who runs Madra Art in Swords, Dublin, said: "I have probably done a thousand sketches of him, he is my model and the inspiration for all of this.

"I was very impressed by how many Irish dog breeds there are and could not see a similar art project, so felt inspired to begin."

Initially, she worked from stock images but wasn’t satisfied because she had not met the dog and could not feel its energy. 

Laura said: "I started visiting local dog shows in Swords every Saturday, where I could meet these breeds in real life.

"When I do a portrait, I try to take photos from different angles and to play with the dog, to really get a feel for its specific personality."

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The collection is set to appear at Art Source, beginning this Friday, November 15, alongside portraits of Laura’s loyal dog Rix, a constant source of comfort to her and 14-year-old Artem as they fled the war.

Art Source features a huge selection of affordable art as well as a wide range of pieces from some of the biggest names in the art world, including Banksy, Andy Warhol and Julian Opie.

Show organiser Patrick O'Sullivan said: “Over the past number of years we have seen that the Irish public have shown an enormous appetite for art, and Art Source has become a major destination for buyers who are interested in art from some of the world’s most recognisable artists.

“As a reflection of that demand, this will be the biggest Art Source to date. The reason the Fair is growing so much is that Irish people are interested in art and culture at heart, and many people make a point of returning to the fair annually."

Patrick highlighted that the fair also offers visitors the opportunity to purchase one-off original artworks to make their home unique and also the opportunity to meet the artists and find out about their work.

He said: “The event is where the industry meets to see what is going on in the Irish art world, and this year is our biggest yet, with the widest range of art styles anywhere in Ireland.”

Art Source opens on Friday, November 15 at 11am, and runs until November 17. For more information and tickets, visit artsource.ie.