David Bowie pictures and artwork from a refugee among art donated to Open Door Berkhamsted to raise money for Ukraine

Open Door Berkhamsted will feature work from local artists as they raise funds for Red Cross and the Disasters Emergency Committee.

The community arts space, which is on Berkhamsted High Street, has had scores of work donated by artists in the area.

The theme of sunflowers, Ukraine’s national flowers, come comes through strongly across the range of unique artworks available for sale.

Among the work is art created by 10-year-old Aleskandra who fled the war in Ukraine and arrived in Berkhamsted a week ago.

The girl along with her mother left their city of Zaporizhia after living in a bomb shelter for three days.

Due to intense fighting, the mother and daughter fled their hometown and joined an evacuation train to Poland which Aleskandra said was “frightening and stressful experience” and she thought she “was going to be crushed alive”.

Aleskandra has donated three pieces of art to the exhibit and said: “I want to share my love of Painting with everyone and make good friends.”

Joan Fisher, general manager at Open Door said: “'Sharing Aleksandra's art and her story brings home the true nature of the suffering in Ukraine and is a stark reminder of all those left behind for whom she is so concerned”.

Some of the rare gems that are on offer are three images donated by photographer Vernon Dewhurst are of singer David Bowie which were taken in 1969 during his Space Oddity shoot and at his arts lab in Beckenham.

The exhibition is open Monday to Saturday, from 10.30am - 3.30pm, until May 7.