FAINA PRESENTS DREVO

Images courtesy of FAINA

Ancestral Memory in Steel

The new collection by architect, designer, and artist Victoria Yakusha, Drevo (Ukrainian for “tree”), has been unveiled by FAINA. It explores themes of memory, femininity, and cultural resilience.  Presented at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York from June 26 to July 10. A significant symbol in Ukrainian culture, the Tree of Life stands for the cosmos’ structure, the connection between the sky and the earth, the past and the future, and the human and the divine. It represents continuity, rebirth, and spiritual unity with its deep roots and upward-pointing branches. It also represented the family line and the generational transfer of knowledge in folklore.

Originally used by young women as spiritual gestures, the Tree of Life appears in almost every panel in Drevo. Archival ethnographic records—more especially, those from the Podillia region—are the source of the patterns in Drevo. The Tree’s recurrence illustrates a culture’s respect for life and determination to preserve what is most important.

Presented by Magran Living

Because Drevo is made of stainless steel, the drawings can be saved and used in the future. The 18 panels in the collection can be arranged singly or in larger wall compositions, adding weight to ancestral memory while fitting into modern interiors. In order to preserve their stories and connect each piece to the individual heritage of this folk knowledge, each panel is named after a traditional Ukrainian woman.