On 24 September, at 14:00, the Lviv Palace of Arts hosted the opening of the exhibition “Earthly and Sublime”.
The exhibition will showcase the real cultural heritage, namely the everyday items of the inhabitants of the village of Pidberiztsi in the Lviv region: curtains, towels, spindles, hoops, clothes, including spare parts, selvedges, embroidered shirts, skirts and kepatars (kamezelki).
In total, there are about 150 exhibits.
Pidberiztsi is the village where there is a church with paintings by Sosenko, where Sheptytsky and Franko are said to have visited. So come to the opening and enjoy the stories about each item.
“I want to raise the work of hands that exists on the earth high and perpetuate it,” says Iryna Vyshynska.
The second-hand items presented at the exhibition are a unique testament to the centuries-old cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people. Each towel, shirt or curtain is not only an example of folk craftsmanship, but also a living chronicle of the life, traditions and aesthetics of our ancestors. They embody the history, craftsmanship and spirit of a community that has preserved and passed on its knowledge from generation to generation.
These works of art are a language of symbols, patterns and colours that tell the story of the values, beliefs and hopes of Ukrainians. They are of great importance not only for Ukraine, but also for world culture, as they preserve the universal ideas of beauty, humanity and connection with nature.
In addition, the exhibition will feature wooden works (bas-reliefs) by Ivan Vesna, a Ukrainian sculptor, member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine since 1944. The artist was born in Pidberiztsi and was engaged in carving and sculpture. His works can be found in the Church of St Nicholas, the Ivan Franko Museum in Lviv and Nahuyevychi, the Taras Shevchenko Museum in Kyiv, and in private collections abroad.
The exhibition will also feature photographs of the exterior and interior of the Church of St Michael the Archangel, which was built in 1891-1910 in the Neo-Byzantine style by the famous architect Ivan Levynskyi (1851-1919). A number of prominent personalities of the Ukrainian Church, history and culture are associated with this church. The photographs show monumental paintings by Modest Sosenko (1875-1920).
According to Olesia Semchyshyn-Huzner, a researcher of the artist’s artistic heritage, it is one of the few where the polychrome of the famous Ukrainian painter has been preserved in its original form.
Iryna Vyshynska, a native and resident of Pidberiztsi, has assembled this valuable collection of Ukrainian embroidery. “A dentist who is interested in creativity,” Iryna describes herself.
“I had a desire to show this value of folk and professional art. So I started collecting these things. My parents had a lot of exhibits. Ivan Vesna is a relative of mine. So we had some things at home, and his children had some. I just collected and classified everything,” says Iryna Vyshynska.
Curator of the exhibition: Iryna Vyshynska.