Embroidered with Pain

media release: Through March 27, 2026, Pyle Center (702 Langdon Street, first-floor gallery).

The interactive exhibit “Embroidered with Pain” shares the uncomfortable and often hidden stories of Ukrainians who have survived wartime sexual violence at the hands of Russian soldiers since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Blending ancient tradition with deeply personal stories of trauma and resilience, the exhibition uses the Ukrainian art of rushnyk embroidery to encode and retell the experiences of Ukrainians who endured sexual violence as a weapon of war. The exhibit features six reproductions of rushnyk tapestries, each encoded with traditional embroidered symbols that tell the story of a wartime sexual violence survivor. The tapestries are accompanied by QR codes that allow us to read the stories of overcoming trauma and finding healing and hope.

Sponsored by Friends of Ukraine-Madison and the UW-Madison Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia