Folk Arts at UHEC: The Pysanka - Not Just a Pretty Egg

Pysanky are known world wide as beautiful works of art. But did you ever wonder why the ancestors of modern Ukrainians drew certain symbols on eggs in the spring; why those eggs had to be uncooked; why some were hung from beams in the form of birds?

Learn about the often overlooked history, symbolism, mythology and customs of the pysanka tradition with artist and ethnographer Sofika Zielyk who will discuss the 5 w's- the what, where, why, when and how - of this unique and ancient art form.

Webinar suitable for all ages.

This event is FREE and will take place  ONLINE on GoToWebinar,  however registration is required. 

About the artist:
Sofika, a native New Yorker, is an ethnographer and folk artist, whose focus is the Ukrainian Easter egg or pysanka, and Ukrainian ceramics. She began painting ceramics and writing Easter eggs at age 6, having learned the basics of these traditional Ukrainian art forms from her mother. In 1984, after graduating from New York University with a bachelor's degree in Art History, Sofika began researching the folklore and history of these branches of folk art. As a folk artist she creates traditional and original designs; as an ethnographer she researches the centuries old pre-Christian tradition of the pysanka. Sofika was the first American of Ukrainian descent to have her art work exhibited in her ancestral homeland, mounting a solo exhibit of pysanky and ceramics in 1991 in Kaniv, Ukraine, In 1992, shortly after Ukraine declared independence, a bilingual book The Art of the Pysanka by Sofika was published in Ukraine. It contains 100 color photographs of her eggs as well as chapters on the lore of Ukrainian Easter eggs and step by step instructions. In 1995, Sofika was accepted into the prestigious Associates on Folk Artists of Ukraine. Her research and exhibits have taken her all over the wold, most recently to Rome and Paris, as well as to Kyiv, Ukraine, where she spent 7 months doing research as a Fulbright scholar. 

UHEC folk art programming is made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.