22 June 2026
Exhibition “10 Years: Documenting Ukrainian Resolve and Resistance”
On July 2nd at 6 p.m., the National Library of Lithuania invites you to the opening of the exhibition “10 Years: Documenting Ukrainian Resolve and Resistance”. As part of the opening, artist and author Sarah Lippett will be in conversation with NARA contributing writer Polina Tolpygina about the creation of the comic book series over the past 10 years.
10 Years presents stories from Ukraine, collected and illustrated by British artist Sarah Lippett since 2016. The comics begin in Muzychi and Kyiv, in the years following Russia's occupation of Crimea, where Sarah first met Lisa, Taras and Misha. There, she documented their lives under the shadow of occupation and the uncertainty of what will come next.
In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sarah returned to the same individuals to record how war has reshaped their everyday lives. For the first time, the full collection is brought together alongside a new series made for this exhibition, bringing these conversations into the present. These stories reflect on distance, identity, and what the future can mean during war.
“I'd like to thank my Ukrainian friends for their generosity and time sharing their lives and experiences with me. This is for you.” Sarah Lippett, 2026
Sarah Lippett is a UK based comic artist, illustrator, and educator. Her debut graphic novel, Stan and Nan, won the Quentin Blake Prize for Narrative at the Royal College of Art and was published by Jonathan Cape in 2016. The book became a Guardian bestseller and was named one of the newspaper’s Books of the Year.
Her second autobiographical graphic novel, A Puff of Smoke, was published by Jonathan Cape in 2019 with support from an Arts Council England Literary Grant. The book received widespread critical acclaim, was selected as a Guardian Graphic Novel of the Year, featured on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, and earned praise from The Herald, The Observer, and the rare disease community for its sensitive portrayal of chronic illness.
Lippett’s first work of fiction, Everything Amplified (co-written with Ziggy Hanaor), was published by Cicada Books in 2025. It was named a Herald Scotland Book of the Year and recently won a prestigious V&A Illustration Award for Adult Fiction.
Alongside her graphic novels, Lippett has produced a range of socio-political comics and reportage projects, documenting the experiences of diverse communities across the UK and internationally. She is co-founder of Onion Press, a small independent risograph press run with Maria Stoian, which publishes short-form non-fiction comics. Lippett also lectures in Illustration at the University of Edinburgh.
Polina Tolpygina is a contributing writer to NARA and a recent graduate of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science.
The exposition is sponsored by Creative Scotland and NARA.
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The exhibition is presented in Lithuanian, with English translations available throughout; all translation work has been carried out by Deividas Slivinskas. During the opening event, visitors will have the opportunity to purchase English-language editions of the comics, with all proceeds donated to Ukraine. These publications will also be available for purchase at the venue beyond the opening.
