Abstract
Contemporary artists work within conditions in which the international circulation of images, visual languages, and artistic concepts both expands the field of creative references and complicates the search for a distinct artistic voice. This paper presents an analysis of how young Ukrainian artists negotiate these complications by working with national tradition, digital technologies, and individual experience in their art under conditions of globalisation. The empirical sample comprised 30 art students from three higher education institutions in Ukraine. Data were gathered using an original questionnaire, the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), and a modified version of the Self-Expression and Emotion Regulation in Art Therapy Scale (SERATS). Two-thirds of the respondents (66.7%) reported that they include elements of national tradition in their work. Most of them do so as a creative stimulus (80%) and for cultural anchoring (66.7%). In digital practice, graphic editing software (M = 4.23/5) and social media platforms (M = 4.03) were the most commonly used tools. AI-based tools, video production, and 3D modelling were used far less commonly. Stronger involvement in the international art world was associated with higher identity-related tension (r = 0.45; p < 0.05). Among the multicultural characteristics, cultural empathy scored the highest (M = 34.2/40), followed by openness (M = 33.1). These traits were also associated with creative engagement: openness was related to innovation (r = 0.58; p < 0.01), while empathy was related to emotional depth in the process of creating work (r = 0.52; p < 0.01). According to the respondents, artistic practice is not only a form of professional production but also a means of emotional processing and self-understanding. These results could be beneficial for art curricula seeking to harmonise national cultural heritage with global requirements in the sphere of artistic communication.