The stages of acceptance by Olena Boiarovska

The Stages of Acceptance is a multi-panel mixed-media artwork composed of four interconnected parts, assembled in the form of a book. The work unfolds physically as well as emotionally, encouraging the viewer to engage with it page by page, as with a personal narrative that cannot be absorbed all at once.
Each panel depicts a face, representing different psychological stages of acceptance: fear, denial, anger, confrontation, and transformation. The distorted expressions and intense gazes reflect inner conflict and emotional tension, capturing moments when the mind resists reality before gradually learning to face it. These states overlap and coexist rather than follow a strict order, emphasizing that acceptance is not a linear process.
In the foreground, the chain and the image of a house symbolize the refugee’s path — a journey marked by forced movement, restriction, and loss of stability. The house, rendered as a mirror, confronts the viewer with their own reflection, underscoring a crucial truth: displacement and trauma are not distant possibilities, but realities that can happen to anyone.
Through its object-like structure, expressive painting, and symbolic elements, The Stages of Acceptance speaks about vulnerability, survival, and the painful yet necessary process of recognizing and accepting a transformed reality.