Artist’s book

The embroidery schemes I have worked out are based on the traditional symbols, yet differ from them, and in those differences bring additional meanings.

Structurally, the artist’s book can be divided into two parts, each marked by a corresponding colour. One side of the story, “the fading one” is carried out white on white, traditional funerary colours in Belarusian culture, while “the revival one” bares slow development of red as the colour associated with the sun, rebirth, vital power and life itself.

In the first part, embroidered with white threads over white canvas, the story development is going down, to gradual destruction, disappearance of the habitual status. Step by step fainting begins with the element of the Sun, permanent and therefore completely unnoticeable while life goes on as usual. The symbols start dissolving in the fabric until the very canvas, embodying the fabric of life is destroyed. In the red part we go the other way around, witnessing the revival from the elementary particle of the whole project, two-thread cross, through the appearance of a person up to revival, spring, appearance of new life, completing the story.

The accordion was initially chosen as a form for the artist’s book for its continuity, also permitting the double-sided approach essential for the project. In the course of the work, however, I felt the need to combine the beginning and end of the story together. The later versions of VyŽyvanka form a circle, telling a never-ending story. It turns into a circle of life, a magic circle, uniting all the worlds.

There exist 4 versions of VyŽyvanka artist’s book, each different in form and the development of the symbols. The 5 version exists in the form of ashes left after the sacred ritual.

Project Overview

VyŽyvanka Book