A Ukrainian collects works of our artisans from different regions of the country for an exhibition that will be organized abroad aimed at raising funds for the support of Ukraine.
Oleksandra Burbela was born in Alchevsk, the town in which she was not raised, though. Until she reached the age of 16 she had been living in Crimea. She then moved to Kyiv. Oleksandra changed 4 schools and the issue of home had always remained open for her until war broke out.
Currently Oleksandra is moderating a project titled ‘This is my home‘ while living in the region of the Carpathian Mountains. The goal of the project is to demonstrate the real Ukrainian culture to the world. She collects craft production from different parts of Ukraine that would offer a contemporary view of our ethnic code and represent our country from different perspectives, since Oleksandra admits that home is a much broader concept that one may think.
The Media of Great Stories spoke with Oleksandra about modern craft production that helps discover historical heritage and its meaning in the times of war.
Exporting Ukrainian production to the world
This is the second time Russians have invaded my country. In 2014 they annexed Crimea. At that moment I was already living in Kyiv but I do have quite a vivid recollection of people talking about a united country while I couldn’t visit my home since the borders were closed. I have to confess that for some period of time my patriotic feelings were gone.
This time I met Russians in Kharkiv where I was visiting my boyfriend. As soon as I heard the sound of ‚Grad‘ (self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union – translator’s note) I immediately called my grandma who lived in Alchevsk. To my question of whether there were any explosions to be heard she said, ‚Well, we don’t feel any difference. I can’t say for now’. Before the full-scale invasion the sound of explosions was a common occurrence for citizens of Alchevsk. They had been hearing them for the past 8 years (the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in 2014 – translator’s note).
I spent another 10 days in Kharkiv. Afterwards my boyfriend and I moved to Western Ukraine. During the first days of the war I was afraid not for myself but for my parents living in Kyiv. I was afraid for my cats which I was forced to have evacuated to the country’s western parts. Ironically, I had been toying with the idea of moving to the Carpathian Mountains for a year. I would never have thought this relocation would happen under such circumstances. During the first days of the war we volunteered, having subsequently resumed doing our business. For the past 18 months I have been implementing my own project of interior design created by Ukrainian craftspeople called ‘Maysternya‘ (the Ukrainian for a ‚craft shop‘ – translator’s note).
Recently my mom and I have founded a family foundation. At our own expense we buy authentic works by Ukrainian artisans from different regions which are then used in exhibitions held abroad. This project is titled ‚This is my home‘. Within its framework artists share their own vision of home. I don’t feel like collecting works that would exclusively feature all the horrors of war, although I am sure I will buy some of these works as well. In these works I want to see a bright future and a history of our diverse culture.
We collect not only paintings, but also textiles, ceramics, sculptures, etc. It doesn’t matter if these works are of a well-known master or a beginner. They have to be about Ukrainian culture from different historical regions shown through a modern lens.
Later on my mother and I will select some of these works. I will then start buying them in order to put them on display within the framework of a unified exhibition abroad. The goal of such an exposition is not only to show Ukrainian cultural code to foreigners, but to also raise funds in support of our country. It is for this reason that we have founded the foundation. Each author is remunerated for their work, however, on one condition – part of this money has to be donated to people or organizations who (in view of each particular author) should be supported. I have already started buying some of these works in order to show craftspeople that they can really be paid for their work while at the same time helping their country. The deadline for submitting works is the beginning of June.
We are planning to hold our first exhibition in western Ukraine, it will be either in Lviv or Ivano-Frankivsk. We will then take the exhibition to the previously defined cities abroad. We are already working on the route while also assessing with which cities the works of Ukrainian authors would fit in. I want this exhibition to be mobile so that as many people as possible can see it and thus donate money to support Ukrainians. Just think about it – the more cities we will visit the more help can be drummed up for Ukraine thanks to each work of art.
Contact details for authors:
- Google form to be filled out
- Instagram account of Maysternya
The origins of love of craft
The first influences on my love of Ukrainian authentic goods were my mom and Crimea. She used to work in the real estate sector and would often engage local craftspeople in producing different things for the interior made of, for example, wood. I spent lots of time watching them work in their workshops.
In Kyiv I worked ten years as a columnist for a restaurant magazine while dreaming of opening my own restaurant. I would often speak with people who designed restaurants’ interiors. I was really excited. That’s why with time my friends and I implemented a seasonal ‚Garden Project‘ located at the permanent multi-purpose exhibition complex ‚Expocenter of Ukraine‘ where we received guests in a pear tree garden for three years. Specifically for this project we searched for craftspeople who would create authentic pieces of furniture that would nicely fit in with the location.
The project of Maysternya came finally into being when I started repairing and at the same time designing my own apartment. I wanted to create an unusual interior that would feature, for instance, cut bottles instead of chandeliers or where corks would be used as handles. I had a few similar ideas that were quite difficult to bring to life. However, I had no contacts of craftspeople who could help me with that. I started searching on different websites and eventually came to realize that this was a tough call. It was then that I thought to myself – I wish there was a chief artisan who would be able to implement my ideas for a fee. At that time I failed to find such a person, so I had to finish repairs all by myself. Nevertheless, I thought that I could become such a chief artisan myself offering services of searching for Ukrainian artisans and realizing the ideas for the design of interior.
Then I started to extensively travel around Ukraine. I saw that our country had lots of interesting artists who produce various handmade goods. However, they barely communicated with each other. I hit upon the idea of bringing them together so that Ukraine would learn about its authentic craft and craftspeople could create amazing things in collaboration. In Kyiv I opened what eventually came to be a showroom of works produced by Ukrainian craftspeople and at the same time a workshop where visitors could learn to make things with their own hands.
After a year Maysternya’s focus has shifted from its main idea of interior design to that of conducting master classes. Without any PR-efforts on our side people started to come to us after learning about Maysternya by word of mouth. These are people working in different sectors who would like to take individual master classes in mosaic, ceramics, painting or even carpet weaving. However, with time I revisited the idea of developing Maysternya as a brand of craft interior goods.
We create things together with craftspeople in collaboration. These are:
- artists such as, for instance, a friend of mine SoulDeparts;
- craftspeople that work with metal, clay, wood and polymer;
- ceramists such as, for example, immortalceramic;
- craftspeople working in the field of flower decoration such as vichni_atelier, etc.
Identical or different?
War has united Ukrainians. However, this does not mean that things had been totally different before. Our strength is in our diversity. Kharkiv is not my native city, but as soon as it began being hit by missiles, I felt just as much pain as I did for my native town of Alchevsk or Crimea. Shelling of Kyiv caused citizens of Kharkiv just as much suffering.
The question of home has always been complicated in my case, since I lived in different cities and regions. I have come to realize, though, that my home is more than simply an apartment. That is why I bring artists from different parts of Ukraine together. The perception of home, i.e. of our country, manifests itself in a different way in their work depending on the place they live in. I think that’s great.
To unite Ukrainians is possible only through their diversity. The project ‚This is My Home‘ is aimed at showing just that. Our culture has long been more than a stereotypical image of ‚a khokhol (commonly used in Russia ethnic slur for Ukrainians – translator’s note) with a dumpling‘. Ukrainians are different, having their own cultural differences. However, they are all Ukrainians.
How will Ukrainian art change in the future?
I am sure that craftspeople will create more Ukrainian-themed works of art. I’m not speaking about radical manifestations of nationalism or openly military themes. Yes, works dedicated to Mariupol and ‚Russian warship are cool and they evoke emotions. However, these are products of current times. In the future they will not have the value that is inherent to authentic Ukrainian culture. I am all for Ukrainian artists immersing themselves into the centuries-old Ukrainian culture and processing it through the lens of modernity. Such an approach will work for the future.
Effort is needed to induce people from other countries and other cultures to buy Ukrainian goods and to have them put these goods on display in their homes because they look cool and stylish and are of high quality. I hope that this will be the case and that Ukrainians will promote their past through their history and experience.
