Leonila Varzhevska
May 8–31, 2025
Three years ago, my family fled the war in Ukraine and came to Canada. At 19, living with my parents in a foreign country was a confusing experience — I craved both comfort and change. This triptych is part of my series I don’t want to leave my house, created after moving into my first apartment with my partner and friends. It documents the comforting stability and celebrates the newfound freedom of making a space my own.
Leonila Varzhevska
Leonila Varzhevska
Leonila Varzhevska
Leonila Varzhevska is a Fine Art photographer from Ukraine, currently based in Toronto. She developed an interest in visual arts at a young age, taking painting courses that helped her build foundational skills in composition and visual storytelling. As a child, she staged her first photoshoots using her siblings as models.
At 15, she began using a semi-professional camera, teaching herself photography through trial and error.
Her decision to pursue Fine Art photography was influenced by her time working as a graphic designer at the Contemporary Art Center M17 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Since relocating to Canada three years ago due to the war in Ukraine, Leonila has focused on exhibiting her work in Toronto. She contributed documentary photography for the Nuit Blanche exhibit at Harbourfront Centre and became a member of Gallery 44. Her solo exhibition Amuse Us is currently being presented as part of the CONTACT Photography Festival.
Leonila’s work explores themes of home, belonging, and queer experience, blending her painting background and design skills with a signature use of dramatic lighting to tell intimate, visually bold stories.