03/06/2026
Four years ago, I conceived of “The Pysanka: A Symbol Of Hope” installation. What began as a small act of cultural diplomacy and defiance turned into an honor of a lifetime. For it has been my honor as curator to unwrap each and every pysanka that is donated, lovingly created and ingeniously wrapped; my honor to read the beautiful, deep-felt notes and letters from people of every background and all walks of life; my honor to witness an emergence of a new branch of the pysanka tradition which I call "war eggs". The first 3 pysanky that arrived from Quebec, Canada in March of 2022 are now accompanied by more than 1000 others from 18 different countries and they continue to arrive. This living, ever changing installation will remain until the day Ukraine celebrates a just Victory. Then true to its symbolic meaning of rebirth, the pysanky will return to their ancestral homeland of Ukraine as it rises from the ashes of war.
For more information about “The Pysanka: A Symbol of Hope” and instructions on how to donate your own pysanka, please visit: https://pysanka.ukrainianinstitute.org/...
We are all Ukrainian. An invitation to join me in an ancestral response to the aggressor! Please read to the end.
Everyone defends themselves with weapons they know best. As a pysanka artist my weapon is an ordinary egg.
Our Ukrainian ancestors wrote pysanky asking ancient dieties for protection from evil and help with everyday life. But more importantly, they believed that these fragile eggs decorated with magical symbols, could save the world. Their legend says that as long as people created pysanky, evil - personified as a monster who lived chained inside a deep cave - would be kept at bay and their world would continue to exist.
During this turbulent time I am using my fragile, delicate weapon to defeat the evil monster. But I need your help.
I ask all people who care, including children, to create one pysanka with a TRADITIONAL Ukrainian motif ( scroll down to link). Under the auspices of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations (WFUWO) and in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York these pysanky will be collected and incorporated into an art installation at the Ukrainian Institute of America. Together, we must have faith that these delicate little works of art decorated with potent ancient symbols will fortify Ukraine’s spiritual defenses against evil and ultimately will triumph over it. True to its symbolic meaning of rebirth, the pysanky will return to their ancestral homeland of Ukraine as it rises from the ashes of war.
Please send your pysanka (blown out eggshell) as soon as it is ready to:
Pysanka Project,
C/O Ukrainian Institute of America
2 East 79th street,
New York, NY 10075
or
Hand deliver to the Ukrainian Institute of America at 2 East 79th Street in New York City, during business hours: Thursday- Sunday, noon to 6 pm or by appointment. 212-288-8660
Please include a note with your name, city and country.
More details to follow.
