Phoebe Walsh
LOVELETTER TO KYIV
LOVELETTER TO KYIV is a tribute to a city and its people – a collection of jewellery formed in 2023 from Ukrainian war flowers and shaped by resilience. Created by London-based botanical jeweller Phoebe Walsh, in collaboration with Ukrainian artist Olha Morozova, who picked the flowers, it is a tribute to resilience, hope, and the enduring spirit of Ukrainians. 
This work reflects fragility, endurance, and renewal – qualities deeply woven into Ukraine’s story today. The collection draws inspiration from Ukraine’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, celebrating a history defined by creativity, strength, and a fierce love of freedom. 
It began through conversations with Olha and an exploration of Ukraine’s medieval heritage, including echoes of the Kyivan Rus period and its symbolism of a land without borders.
Forms reminiscent of protective armour emerge throughout – delicate yet strong – expressed in woven botanical rings, flower amulets, and single-flower pendants. These pieces are symbols of hope and flourishing, born from frosted and torched earth.
Each design is sculpted using real flowers hand-picked by Olha Morozova from a park in Kyiv, as it transformed from a place of leisure into a frontline of defense. The resulting textures – dreamlike and abstract – remain forever in the jewellery like fragments of memory and markers of time. Look closely at the metal surfaces to discover impressions of Olha’s herbarium – petals, leaves, and seeds cast in precious metals. These designs carry the imprint of a city and its people, growing despite the scars of war.
“I felt the reality of war had left its mark not through pain alone, but through a quiet flame of resilience. It was a defiant beauty, a power that felt untouchable.” – Phoebe Walsh
Born from the exhibition Flowers from the Frontline and the jewellery collection Loveletter to Kyiv was a joint initiative by Phoebe Walsh and Olha Morozova – Ukraine for Future. The foundation supports talented young artists in Kyiv by providing them with the materials and resources they need to grow and thrive creatively.
https://www.phoebewalshjewellery.com/