Necklace from Zoryana Kurylyak, Lviv designer,"starry" not only because of that, what is the name of a craftswoman,– although the name itself inspired the brand to a symbolic name.The idea of creating authentic neck jewelry also has a star path.Two years ago, Zoryana Kurylyak won the "Permanent Competition of Creators" from the "ItsCraft" Charitable Foundation, which supports micro-entrepreneurs every quarter-crafters and artisans. As a result, she established cooperation with famous Ukrainian craftsmen and highlighted the necklaces with author's "star" elements.Then there was a scholarship from the Goethe Institute to translate a website of its own design-studios in English - thus Ukrainian jewelry opened up new ways to customers from-abroad.And now the "Star Necklace" is on the national marketplaceMade With Bravery, from where part of the profit is transferred to the reconstruction of Ukraine through the platformUnited24.
Beauty, which brings happiness
With creativity "on you" Zoryan Kurylyak since childhood. Remembers,as a schoolgirl she was engaged in weaving and drawing.And later, when the artist, like a real Galician girl, wanted to add something traditional and at the same time modern to her image, the idea to create ethnic style necklaces appeared. To emphasize one's own individuality, and make other women happy with beauty.
"Will beauty save the world,I do not know, but the mood will definitely lift! Zoryana laughs.- We create beauty, which brings happiness.This is what is written on our website and this is our motivation to improve existing jewelry models and find new creative solutions".
An authentic symbol of beauty, strung on Galician traditions, appeared in Ukraine in2015year.At first it was jewelry made of beads, then from stone, glass beads and metal elements. Zoryana Kurylyak creates all products herself, and daughter Anastasia helps with the design of the sketches.
"Star necklace" - traditional neck jewelry made in a modern style, which Ukrainian women have long loved and even inherited.These are corals, beads, ducats and zgards of coral, amber, mother of pearl, beads, glass and semi-precious stones, supplemented with brass elements, silver and cupronickel.
If you have an idea, you will have the opportunity to implement it
When creativity turned from a simple hobby into painstaking work, Zoryana Kurylyak began to study "craft" business and became interested in social entrepreneurship.I heard on one of the webinars, as Victoria Kulakova, co-founder and director of BF "ItsCraft",told about the competition of creators from the Foundation.
"The highlight of jewelry in ethnic style is handmade metal elements.This is ducats, dukachi and so-called crosses-insults, previously common in the Hutsul region.Many craftsmen are now reproducing such jewelry based on old models.And only-but the work of one master turns out - immediately others appear with the same elements,- Zoryana tells about the behind-the-scenes crafting.- And it is important for me, so that the decoration was not only beautiful, but also qualitative and special.
The competition of creators involved the creation of prototypes of certain products.And when I heard about this competition, then I immediately thought about the reliability and originality of my pendants.The daughter helped to create sketches, and I applied".
In 2021 , Zoryana Kurylyak won the summer competition of creators from "ItsCraft" with the idea of making original metal elements for necklaces with the symbol of the Christmas star, which is in the logo of the "Star Necklace" brand.The designer received a grant from the Foundation for the development of two pendants and an adapter, which is attached to the decoration, made of several rows.Forms and ready-made models of unique pendants and adapters made of brass were created by Pavlo Nikonorov - a craftsman from Novaya Kakhovka, who was recommended to Zoryan by Victoria Kulakova. However, scaling up cooperation did not work out - the war got in the way.
"None of us thought, that the war will unfold in the Kherson region, and those prototypes will have to be taken to Lviv, Zoryana admits.- We planned, that Paul will continue to cast elements for jewelry. But at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the prototypes were in Novaya Kakhovka. They stayed there, and the master moved to Kyiv.I have not yet ordered other such elements - we are waiting for the release of Novaya Kakhovka. We hope, they will wait for us there.Or the master will return home and resume his activities.".
The war motivates more to share Ukrainian with the world
But war cannot prevent creativity.On the contrary, it encourages craftsmen to preserve authentic heritage, motivates to share Ukrainian traditions with the world.And the belief in the liberation of the occupied territories is already inspiring women to beautify themselves, to celebrate the Victory-stylish.
"In August of last year, we created a series of necklaces with our exclusive metal elements for the marketplace of craft goods of Ukrainian manufacturers "ItsCraft".This is how the Halychanka and Zoryanitsa ornaments appeared,- says the artist.- This cooperation is important for us.We understand, that half of the profit from the "ItsCraft" store is allocated to the Charitable Fund for the support of crafters and the restoration and modernization of Ukrainian cultural heritage, therefore we support this idea".
The form and finished model of another pendant with a Christmas star for Zoryana Kurylyak was created by the Lviv master Maksym Bredenko. Craftsmen from Okhtyrka, that in Sumy region, glass beads are made, reproduced on the model of the Venetian.Art erases borders and unites.
"The idea comes in a moment, when I pick up the material,- Zoryana shares his secret.- I spread the beads on the board, and they lie like that all day, two, and sometimes a week.I add or remove some elements.First, I create the mood of the decoration, and then I start collecting it.This is not a production flow.This is creativity".
In addition to necklaces, Zoryan Kurylyak also makes silyanki - authentic Ukrainian jewelry, created by strengthening(stringing)beads on a silk thread with the formation of patterns.
"I live in Lviv and have not left the city since the beginning of the Great War,- says Zoryana.- You can't spread a necklace on the floor in the corridor during air alarms.And I remembered the beads. Silyanka could be done on the knees.And so by the end of last year, I played almost 40 sylyanok based on the samples of traditional ornaments of Western Ukraine".
The craftswoman paid attention:decorations are not those things, which Ukrainian women put in alarming suitcases in February2022-oh.But later, to get relief, women also began to buy new clothes, and decorations.And they preferred the Ukrainian style. Especially, if they went abroad. Along with these things, the women took a piece of Ukraine with them.
"This is attachment to one's Motherland.The value of that, why are you here. And maybe that's why a return to traditions is important now. Rethinking them.And transformation into modern art".
Writer: Iryna Shatalova
