Name: Alla Maistrenko, Title: Photography by Alla Maistrenk...

Hammer

£50

Name: Alla Maistrenko,

Title: Photography by Alla Maistrenko,

Size: A4 photo prints on Foamex,

Bio: “My name is Alla Maistrenko and I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunity to present my collection of photos showing the beauty of traditional Ukrainian costumes. This is a huge part of our culture that carries great meaning for us and conveys the value of our heritage. What is depicted in these photos? Women represent wisdom, generosity, and knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation. Young girls, with their beauty and love of life, enthusiastically embrace these values that are such an important part of Ukrainian culture. In ancient times, it was believed that an embroidered shirt (Vyshyvanka) protects a person, and gives them good fortune and health. Women prayed during the embroidery process and believed that these prayers made the shirt stronger and charged it only with positive emotions. Our ancestors believed that each element on the shirt has a specific meaning: geometric patterns symbolise the elements of nature and fertility of the land, floral ornaments symbolise family happiness, maternal love, and images of animals bring faithfulness, prosperity, and long life. The symbolism is not only in the shades of the embroidery but also in the fabric and its colour. Traditionally, it was believed that white represents purity and virtue, red symbolises life force, green represents nature and peace, and black represents sorrow and grief. White shirts were worn most often, as they added cheerfulness, while a black shirt was worn during times of fasting and mourning. The photographs reflect our history and heritage, which we must preserve and pass on to future generations we are proud of our roots and our traditions.