Threading Tradition: Ukrainian Embroidery Demo

Threading Tradition: Ukrainian Embroidery Demo

Join us for a live demonstration of Ukrainian embroidery techniques with artist and educator Lesia Pona. Discover the intricate stitches, vibrant patterns, and deep cultural meanings behind traditional Ukrainian embroidery, or vyshyvanka. Lesia will guide you through the process, sharing stories and insights as she works, offering a rare glimpse into a centuries-old craft that continues to carry personal, regional, and national identity. Whether you’re a needlework enthusiast or simply curious about Ukrainian folk arts, this hands-on presentation offers an inspiring look at the enduring artistry of the embroidered thread.

Lesia Pona, whose work your may have seen at Lacis Museum back in 2023, is a master Ukrainian embroiderer from Lviv, in western Ukraine. Her artistic journey began in childhood, when her mother taught her needlework. Later, at the Institute of Applied Arts in Lviv, she expanded her skills into weaving and silk painting. It was in the early 1990s, during a mentorship with a distinguished folk embroidery master, that she was introduced to the intricate art of drawn-work embroidery (merezshka), skills that became central to her artistic focus.

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