Cossack Mamai on a Shawl

A new exhibition opened at the Obolon Children’s Arts Academy bears a romantic title, Bells of the Apple Trees, a one-woman show by artist Liudmyla Vnuchkova presenting her designs of gowns, scarves, shawls, decorative fabrics, and paintings. All are done in batik.

Liudmyla Vnuchkova is energetic and concentrated as an artist. It is no accident that her favorite characters are birds. Both fairy winged messengers from an unknown tale and a mundane turkey strutting proudly are richly decorated with absolutely fantastic plumage. Vnuchkova transforms even an ordinary slug into a Musical Snail. Now the artist is enthusiastic about creating a modern folk costume. Her recent works, author’s shawls, are adorned with Kyiv’s legendary founders, Cossack Mamai, and carolers. Motifs also appear from Ukrainian folk ceramics, embroidering, carpet weaving, Petrikivka paintings, and even Scythian gold.