Tribute to Ukrainian crafts
Mad'in Europe
The source of European professionals in fine & traditional crafts, and restoration of cultural heritage.
Current events invite us once again to reflect on the impact of armed conflicts on cultural heritage. History bears witness to this, the consequences can be dramatic and erase the culture and identity of a territory in a short time.
This newsletter is a tribute to Ukrainian craftsmanship, that of yesterday and today, but it is above all a tribute to the craftspeople who continue, in dramatic circumstances, to practice and transmit their know-how. In textiles, ceramics, painting, traditional construction, jewelry and papier-maché, these professionals merge their traditions with creativity, innovation, and respect for the environment.
We would like to thank Elizabeth Miroshnichenko (Secretary General of the Handicraft Chamber of Ukraine) and Lesia Voroniuk (culture curator, head of the NGO “World Vyshyvanka Day”. ) who opened the door to these Ukrainian workshops and without whom this tribute would not have been possible. We also thank Milena Chorna (Kyiv-Mohyla Andriy Meleshevych Institute), Natalie Kononenko (Ukrainian Ethnography University of Alberta) and Volodymyr Vasyliovych (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) for their availability and valuable advice.
We were not able to cover all the subjects discussed together or present all the craftspeople due to communication difficulties. We hope to enrich this initiative in the coming months.
Before you discover our selection of craftspeople, in order to have an general overview on the richness of Ukrainian crafts and to discover how tradition can play with innovation, spirit of initiative and creativity we invite you to read two articles.
The first?presents the evolution of the traditional costume of Ukraine and tells how a costume of the past becomes a symbol for young generations?(“The World Vyshyvanka Day”)?as well as the mirror of diversity and a symbol of belonging “The Homestead Project?”)
The second,?written by Elizabeth Miroshnichenko, starts with a historic overview on?crafts development through different regions of?Ukraine and slowly moves to present?the nowadays modern scene of Ukrainian crafts, including opportunities,??educational?and entrepreneurial paths. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of crafts?“in shaping a conscious and sustainable future.?
Jewelry created by the whole family for other families is what the very young?Andrij Paslavskyi?does together with his parents. To make traditional Ukrainian jewlery several generations of Paslavskyi are combining their knowhow in blacksmith techniques with the knowledge of natural stones and minerals.
Through OLK Manufactory she founded,?Oksana Levchenya?mixes past with present to create very unique pieces. By weaving vertical kilims, a landmark of Ukrainian carpet-weaving, Oksana safeguards manual weaving technique that dates back to the 16th century. In fact her kilims are a true combination of unique modern designs and folk ornaments made with traditional technique. Identity, tradition and innovation blend harmoniously. The relevance of her work has never been greater.
?"I do love my profession. It's where I can pursue pure creativity, designing and handling commercial issues"?says?Yulya Yalanzhi,?a craft professional, designer, artist, and co-founder of the "YALANZHI OBJECTS" brand. Only by using her hands, really few tools, recycled papier-maché paper and ceramic Yulya creates unforgettable sculptures and interior lamps. Besides being unique, her work is eco-friendly as well.
Master weaver Liubov Rybenchuk grew up watching her mother weave. Today, she is a third generation weaver and part of the GUSHKA (Гушка) wool weaving family. As a member of GUSHKA (Гушка) weavers, she strives to restore respect for the ancient craft of weaving and to bring high quality Ukrainian products into homes worldwide.
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"I believe that weaving is an inspiring and limitless profession for young generations since the possibilities of the thread are boundless and all it takes is a little perseverance to master them and then the world of beauty is wide open."?says Mariia Kalyniuk a weaver making very colourful belts.
Member of the “National Union of Artists” of Ukraine and of the “National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine”, winner of the “President's Grant”, author of a monumental tapestry series called "Carpet Ukraine", multiple winner of "best works of the year" in Ukraine, participant in more than 300 exhibitions,?Olha Pilyuhina?is an incredibly talented carpet and tapestry weaver.
"In pottery, it is the magic of transformations and energy that inspires me."?Hence,?Serhii Horban?uses the eastern Ukrainian clay to shape dishes, cups, lamps, vases...objects that make life more pleasant and appealing. In addition to enriching the world with his products, he also actively transmits his knowledge to anyone willing to learn. His passion for creation and transmission is so strong that despite current circumstances he finds a way to keep on creating.
The Pysanka is the traditional art of decorating Easter eggs, in?Olga Rovetska’s family it is a long-lasting tradition. Despite risking their safety Olga’s family managed, even during the Soviet occupation, to make pysankas secretly, and to pass and preserve this incredibly beautiful sacred art. Hence, even nowadays Olga Rovetska keeps practising the pysanka and supporting the protection of Ukraine according to the legend which says that:?"As long as Ukrainians paint pysankas, the mountains restrain evil spirits."?In other words, as long as Ukrainians paint pysankas, Ukraine will exist.
"Building a house is a kind of magic because each house is unique and full of family energy."?Andrey grew up helping his father process wood and today dedicates his life to building houses with this noble material. He practices an ancient and environmentally friendly craft that is typical of his region, the Polissya. The Salivonchik workshop, where he works with his family, is specialised in the implementation of traditional technologies of assembling beams with square wooden nails which allows to minimise the use of chemical adhesives.
Olena Fedosiuk?is embroiderer. Her job consists of designing patterns, colours, product models using linen, cotton, hemp fabrics, both, homogeneous and heterogeneous weave. She learned embroidery in 2017 in her own workshop by doing a lot of research in order to maximize skills and know-how.?“Hand-made embroidery is mainly a mathematical task because it requires a highly accurate calculation of needlework and fabric given the abundance of up to 200 patterns in Ukraine, each having their own complexity.”
Anastasia Vasylchenko?is ceramist but she works with clay as if it was embroidery. She divides her work in contemporary art and interior design. In her craft, she uses sculpting technique and pottery wheel as well as natural materials, most of them from Ukraine. Right now she is working and teaching in Vienna, where she had to go because of the current situation.?“I decided to learn this craft because I have been crazy about needlework since childhood. It gives me air. It is my life.”