folk art master of Ukraine
LIVES IN
CONTACTS
НАЗВА НАДАНОЇ РОБОТИ
DOLL NAME: Couple in love
STORY
I am interior folk doll artist. Folk art master, member of the NSNMMUI was born in Dniprorudne, Zaporizhzhia region. This is how I remember my childhood years: The world always seemed amazing to me. As a child, I used to come to my grandmother for the summer in the village of Galaivets in the Sumy Oblast, collect old fairy tales, climb an apple tree in my grandmother’s garden and read about sorcerers and mysticism, always believing in it. Grandma taught me how to embroider with a cross. She was a teacher of the Ukrainian language. Once, together with my grandmother, we were restoring the clothes of a large doll that the students gave her.
This is how I learned cutting, sewing, and various household tricks. because everyone in the family was creative and tried to do beautiful handicrafts. After graduating from high school, I entered the technical university, choosing the specialty of microbiologist of the food industry. It was interesting work with Italian furniture and design. This is also a magical world of forms and textures that contributes to the development of aesthetic taste. I started making dolls after I saw the motanka dolls of Ms. Valentina Berdnyk-Sokorynska and, fascinated, I came to her master classes in 2009. Since then, I use my knowledge and skills, constantly mastering new sewing skills to create own special a recognizable motanka doll. Currently, I have a rich creative heritage: my dolls have settled in different corners of the world; one of my dolls was presented to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain for her birthday. Another doll was presented to the General Secretary of the Pope, Cardinal Dzeviš. Oksana Vdovichenko’s dolls are also owned by famous people of Ukraine. I participate in exhibitions, folk crafts fairs, have many certificates, diplomas and awards, love to teach children and adults the art of making dolls. I worked on a joint Canadian-Ukrainian project, and a meter-high openwork Angel from this project was exhibited in the Pechersk Lavra in the Bell-Tower.
I learn every day, I am always interested in new ideas, old and new techniques, experiments with living materials. My dolls are recognizable because they have live embroidery and a Ukrainian soul. I am constantly in search of new forms and the reflection of Ukrainian culture and traditions in them.