Hero Armor — Ukrainian Art Installation
Maker Faire Bay Area 2026
September 25th-27th
Hero Armor is a 2.2-meter-tall Ukrainian memorial art installation dedicated to courage, memory, and the resilience of Ukrainian defenders.
The project was created by Ukrainian architect and interior designer Liza Kormilets in memory of her cousin, 3D artist Zakhar Zakharov, who volunteered to defend Ukraine after the full-scale invasion and never came back.
The sculpture is based on a 3D character originally created by Zakhar in 2019. His digital artwork was transformed into a full-size physical sculpture through a collaborative process combining 3D fabrication, engineering, metalwork, electronics, lighting, sound, painting, and architectural design.
Hero Armor is a Ukrainian-led international project developed across Ukraine, the Netherlands, and the United States, and physically fabricated and assembled in the San Francisco Bay Area through the collaborative work of an international team of specialists and volunteers.
Inside the 3D-printed shell is a custom steel structural frame mounted to a modular platform. Integrated electronics, programmable lighting, sound, and an ESP32-based control system add another technological layer to the installation.
Hero Armor was first presented at Burning Man 2026 in Black Rock City, near the Temple - the place where the story of the project began a year earlier. Following Burning Man, the installation was restored and exhibited at the Reno Tahoe International Art Show.
Hero Armor brings together art, digital fabrication, engineering, technology, and human memory. It demonstrates how a digital artwork can cross into the physical world and become something much larger - a collective act of remembrance.
Its message is simple: “They chose courage. We carry the memory.”
Hero Armor Team
Hero Armor is an independent Ukrainian art project founded and created by architect and designer Liza Kormilets. The project brings together artists, architects, engineers, 3D fabrication specialists, electronics designers, metalworkers, and volunteers from Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. The installation was inspired by a 2019 digital artwork created by Ukrainian 3D artist Zakhar Zakharov. After Zakhar volunteered to defend Ukraine and was killed in the war, his digital character became the foundation for a physical memorial dedicated to him and to Ukrainian defenders. The team transformed the original digital model into a large-scale physical installation using 3D fabrication, a custom steel structure, architectural engineering, electronics, programmable lighting, sound, and extensive hand finishing. Hero Armor was created as an independent art initiative and first presented at Burning Man 2026.
