TIME FOR BEAUTY

3 examples of European folk art (artists unknown): 1. Austria  2. Germany 3. Poland

Few of us knew how important Ukraine would become to all of us. Because of the war, we now know more about a country rich in tradition and culture, a country the size of Texas, and a country that exports its grain, lithium, coal, steel, and petroleum products. Ukraine also exports its arts. Ukraine's folk art, similar to folk art in other European countries and in Russia, fills the surfaces of pottery, embroidery, woodcarvings, and decorative painting on furniture and houses with flat, repeating patterns, geometric shapes, animals, flowers, and people. They are rich in color and design.

Painting by Maria Prymachenko (courtesy of Colossal)

When you bomb a city, you also bomb the heritage of a place. Looking at photos from last year of Ukrainian cities, we see grand buildings reminiscent of Paris, Prague, and Budapest, which all somehow escaped the bombings in World War I and II. Now we feel outraged at the sight of the demolished buildings in city after city. Already a museum in Ivankiv that housed the work of Maria Prymachenko (her work above) and others has been destroyed. Prymachenko often drew references from her embroidery but included strange beasts and mythical figures. Picasso and Chagall admired her work.

Other Ukrainian artists of this century have incorporated folk traditions in their own more experimental work. Olesya Hudyma fills every inch of space in her fantasy paintings and makes reference to religious figures in her Madonna series.

painting by Olesya Hudyma  (courtesy of stringfixer)

Ukraine is known for its painted egg decorating, called pysanky.  Each area in Ukraine produces different eggs designs. The artist Oksana Mas has turned a small craft into large works of art, using wooden painted eggs as the foundation for large sculptural pieces, including monumental works displayed at the 2011 Venice Biennale. The eggs, a symbol of life in many cultures, are painted by volunteers who work with Mas to create her installations. Some of her pieces, including the 2011 piece, have been disassembled so that the eggs can be sold individually.

Spheres of Good and Spiritual Renaissance by Oksana Mas

Of course, the lives lost in this war are the most devastating consequence of the bombings, but the loss of cultural memories will have an impact on all of us as well.

Read more about these wonderful Ukrainian artists here:

Maria Prymachenko:
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/03/maria-prymachenko-folk-art/

Olesya Hudyma's artwork can be viewed here:

https://www.olesyahudyma.com/dreams-imagination

Read about the monumental work created by Oksana Mas in 2011 for Venice Biennale:

https://maseggs.com/about-project

http://www.meridian.org/thegloryofukraine/oksanagallery.html

Check out Etsy for artwork to purchase by Ukrainian artists:

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=ukrainian%20artists&ref=auto-1&as_prefix=ukrainian%20artis