TORONTO – “Embroidered Memories” is a folk-art installation and exhibit that features hand-embroidered Ukrainian pillows (podushky), collected from Ukrainian Canadian families across the country. The exhibit space at St. Vladimir Institute will be filled with more than 750 pillows; it spans four generations of artistry and pays homage to over 150 artisans who skillfully expressed their personal and cultural expression with a needle and thread.
Ukrainian embroidered podushky are one of the most popular and enduring domestic symbols of ethnic identity found in the home. They hold many meanings. For some, these beautiful artifacts evoke a deep, intuitive cultural bond to the Ukrainian homeland and immigrant experience – it is an attraction that drives the preservation and conservation instinct. For others, they represent thousands of hours of detailed stitchery and artistic excellence. Whatever the connection, embroidered podushky have become keepsakes out of respect for ancestors, as well as the sheer beauty of the craftsmanship.
This installation was created by renowned Canadian artist/curator Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn. All the pillows have been either donated or are on loan from Canadian families from Sidney, British Columbia, to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Ms. Cheladyn will share the stories behind these eclectic artifacts, the artists and the many others who share a passionate relationship to these cultural icons.
“Embroidered Memories” was exhibited at Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba (September-November 2018) and will be travelling to major centers across Canada.
Ms. Cheladyn is a world-renowned artist who has exhibited her watercolors throughout South America, in Europe and across Canada. She holds a B.F.A. in art and design and an M.A. in Ukrainian folklore from the University of Alberta, and is currently completing a Ph.D. in media and cultural studies. As an artist, curator and instructor, her career has been dedicated to engaging the public with the arts. A third-generation Ukrainian Canadian, she lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
In 2000, Ms. Cheladyn accepted a position as a director on the board of the Kule Center for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore at the University of Alberta. In that capacity, she worked closely with the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives and was inspired to return to university life as a graduate student. The focus of her master’s thesis was the Ukrainian Canadian embroidered podushka. Field work entailed a cross-Canada journey in 2015 and interviews with over 50 individuals and museum staff, which led to a greater understanding and appreciation of the evolution of Ukrainian embroidery in Canada over the last 125 years. “Embroidered Memories” is the culmination of her research.
In addition to many of her own travelling exhibits, Ms. Cheladyn has curated and designed exhibits for Grupo Li Gallery (Caracas, Venezuela), Botanical Gardens Gallery (Geneva, Switzerland), Kule Folklore Center at the University of Alberta, Oseredok Gallery (Winnipeg), Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts at the Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton). She has also taught illustration for over a decade at The Kings University in Edmonton and continues to mentor emerging artists of all ages through artist-in-residence programming.
The exhibit opened on Sunday, March 31, and will be on view through June 2. Curator’s tours will be offered on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2, at 1 p.m. and 3p.m.
“Embroidered Memories” is sponsored by the Kule Folklore Center, Shevchenko Foundation, St. Vladimir Institute and Ukrainian Pioneers Association of Alberta.
St. Vladimir Institute, a pre-eminent center of Ukrainian community life in the heart of Toronto since 1963, is located at 620 Spadina Ave., adjacent to the University of Toronto campus. The institute is a post-secondary student residence, a cultural center and home to several Ukrainian Canadian organizations. Facilities include a theater, library, event space and the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch. For more information see the institute’s website, www.stvladimir.ca, or call 416-923-3318.