Ukrainian Artist Reimagines Her Unconventional Embroideries in Light of Russian Invasion

Unconventional Embroidery by Diana Yevtukh

Sometimes, embroidery is the vehicle of a larger artistic message. This is the case for Ukrainian artist Diana Yevtukh, whose stitched works span hollow spaces in the environment. Yevtukh places embroidered flowers and birds in notches of trees and rusting pieces of metal, conforming the thread to these areas. They make the otherwise ordinary surroundings come alive while adding to the overall meaning of the piece.

“Cracked concrete of the neighboring house wall,” Yevtukh describes to My Modern Met, “corroded tinplate or a once handmade, and now a ragged old mesh fence are amazing in the way they help to reveal my embroidery character and charm.”

Based in Lviv, Yevtukh’s work shifted focus after Russia invaded the country this year. “My whole world of blooming flowers was turned upside down,” she shares. “It’s like your heart had been broken into and the invaders are continuously torturing you from the inside. So much pain, helplessness, fear, and despair, mixed with occasional glimmers of hope.”

The invasion inspired Yevtukh to reimagine her past embroideries. “I started to remake my previous works digitally, to represent my current emotions,” she explains. “The bark of the trees was scorched. The soul of the tree was crying in blue and yellow tears. The fields of flowers were surrounded by doom and shadowed by the bombers. These gloom emotions are closely followed by hope: in the end, the spring will come anew, and flowers will always bloom again.”

Ukrainian embroidery artist Diana Yevtukh places her intricate embroideries in the hollow spaces of trees and dilapidated metal.

Unconventional Embroidery by Diana Yevtukh

Unconventional Embroidery by Diana Yevtukh

The stitching makes the otherwise ordinary environment come alive in a new way.

Unconventional Embroidery by Diana Yevtukh

Yevtukh’s work shifted focus after Russia invaded the country this year.

Unconventional Embroidery by Diana Yevtukh

Unconventional Embroidery by Diana Yevtukh

The invasion inspired Yevtukh to reimagine her past embroideries.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Diana Yevtukh (@diana.yevtukh)

“I started to remake my previous works digitally, to represent my current emotions,” she tells My Modern Met.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Diana Yevtukh (@diana.yevtukh)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Diana Yevtukh (@diana.yevtukh)

Diana Yevtukh: Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Diana Yevtukh.

Related Articles:

Ukrainian Artist Remembers Those Lost in Russian Invasion in Heartbreaking “War Notes”

Ukrainian Paper Artist Shares What It’s Like Making Art in the Midst of the Russian Invasion

Portraits of Traditional Ukrainian Outfits Highlight the Country’s Rich Cultural Heritage

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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