The Ukrainian PYSANKA Through the Ages

The Ukrainian Easter egg, the pysanka, is a symbol of the Easter holiday, but few people are aware of the true origins of this unique pre-Christian tradition and the role it played in spring rituals. Decorated with symbols and patterns, the pysanka was revered as a talisman that provided protection from harm and brought good fortune. Join us at The Ukrainian Museum for a visual presentation by prominent pysanka artist and ethnographer Sofika Zielyk, who will discuss the evolution of the pysanka and its significance in today's chaotic world. Museum General Admission is included.

Meet Our Guest Speaker:

Artist and ethnographer Sofika Zielyk has exhibited her work extensively, most notably at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM. Her pysanky (the plural form of pysanka) are in the permanent collection of The Ukrainian Museum in New York, the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C., and America House in Kyiv, among others. Ms. Zielyk is a full-fledged member of the prestigious Association of Folk Artists of Ukraine. Photographs of her work have been featured prominently in such books as Festivals of the World: Ukraine (Times Editions), Decorative Eggs (Crescent Books), and Malevich (Rodovid Press). In early 1993, her bilingual book The Art of the Pysanka was published in Ukraine; it includes 100 color photographs of her eggs as well as sections on the lore of Ukrainian Easter eggs and step-by-step instructions. She is also the curator of the ongoing art installation The Pysanka: A Symbol of Hope at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York. Ms. Zielyk has been interviewed by CNN, Time magazine, The Washington Post, and NPR’s All Things Considered, among others.

For more information about artist Sofika Zielyk, please visit www.sofika.com.

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