The Forgotten Mother — a Letter to Olena Kulchytska
On Makersplace: https://makersplace.com/lapinmignon/the-forgotten-mother-1-of-1-448966/
I can’t stop being amazed by the infinite possibility of the Web3, Metaverse and NFT — and lately I have been contacted by the Sheptysky Museum (Lviv//Polis) in Lviv, Ukraine through Eleonora Brizi (Eleonora Brizi) and VAR Museum who recreated the Museum in the Metaverse and asked a bunch of CryptoArtists to revisits some major Artworks exhibited there — Proceed to fund the protection of Ukrainian Art and Culture ❤
So in July 2022, a doezen od cryptoartists as Jaen, Ana Maria Caballero , Gretechen Andrew, Jesse Draxler, Kalen Iwamoto, Matia Cuttini, Operator, Rheinard Schmid, Sasha Stiles, Skeene, XMVFX and myself, Lapin Mignon, have been contacted by Eleonora to take part of this beautiful preservation project in the adversity of war
we had a list of 5 artworks to chose from and make a personal interpretation of it:
- Study of left hand by School Of Ludovico Gallina (1779)
- Act by Olexander Arkhipenko (1887–1964)
- Sketches of the Heads by Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606–1669)
- Buildings by Leopold Levytsky (1908- 1973)
- Hutsul Mother by Olena Kulchytska (1877–1967)
I got immediatly attracted by Olena Kulchytska Art, because it was first a story of motherhood. But also, because it diffused so much about Ukraine, through the patterns and the mountains behind. like a journey for the soul. I felt an immediate connection with it.
So I studied more about her life and indeed realised that she was an artist celebrating Ukraine and its folklore at the First World War and use her Art to support Ukrainian Family. And she was a pioneers as being the first woman to integrate the Premysl Art School.
Olena had in heart to find ways to reproduce Ukrainian Folkloric Art, and she brought back printing methods to reproduce in higher scale famous and less known Ukrainian patters — she revived the art of Printing that is now very specific to Ukraine, and protect the Pattern patrimoine.
So, I explored a side of me keen to learn about printing and bought a lino printing kit
And the fun started — I feel like replaying in my mind an imaginary discussion between me and Olena, were I was learning her ancestral Art medium and I would explain to her CryptoArt and how it would have helped her in the protection of Ukrainian Art and folklore.
And I reinterpreted the Mother, in my style. Caring, loving. This reminds me a wooden artwork I got from my mum, that her late brother did in his young age — an untouchable Madona, loving with no limit, beyond religion. and a baby, the future.
And I got inspired by Ukrainian beautiful flower patterns to embelish the Mother. A dove with a folkloric stem as an olive branch, flying above their heads.
The carving as a challenge, but the inking was an other one. Getting the right amount of paint and pressure on the roll was an exercise on its own.
I worked until late that nigh to get a result that was pleasing.
And then, I digitalised it and blend it with watercolour, which was also one of the most favorite medium from Olena — like demonstrating to her, that thanks to Digital tools we can now blend and marry both technics.
It added a layer of spirituality, making the mother and her child above all danger, flying high, untouchable.
100% of proceed of Primary Sales will go to protect the Ukrainian Culture and Folklore
The artwork is available on MakersPlace https://makersplace.com/lapinmignon/the-forgotten-mother-1-of-1-448966/
The Descrition of the NFT, is below and is this imaginary discussion with Olena ❤
Description:
“This work, inspired by one of the museum’s classical pieces, was created on the occasion of “Alternative Dimensions”, the first NFT Collection with the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, curated by Eleonora Brizi for V-Art.
Proceeds from the sale will be used to support the functioning of Ukrainian museums, to aid preservation at the National Museum in Lviv, to rebuild the Chernihiv Regional Art Museum, and the Kharkiv Art Museum, which suffered great damage during the hostilities.
Mediums: Lino Printing, Ink, watercolour and some digital wonders
Description:
In place, deep down my imagination, I met an old lady in the park, packing her Art and Craft supplies.
I greeted her. And she said to me in a slavic accent that the good season is gone, the flowers have wilted and the the ground started to freeze.
She show me her drawings, loaded with folkloric patterns and mentioned her beloved Galychyna. I realised she was Ukrainian
A tear trickled down my cheek. I asked her how is she going, how is her family and what happened to her since the war started. She presses my hand gently and asked if I had time for an old lady like her? I invited to sat on the bench and she started to count me her Childhood in the hilly landscape of Galicia, how she managed to be the first woman in Galychyna who received a professional art education: she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. How she loved traditional art and had a passion for watercolour and printing technics. I cried that I was a watercolourist too but never tried the lino printing technics. She had a smile, she claimed she was the one who brought back the printing technics in Ukraine and asked if I wanted to try. And she gave me some tools and we had fun trying. I got inspired by « Mother » one of her illustration she was carrying with her. I started elaborating how being an artist with children was something shaping art and questioned her if she had a family. But she did not reply. I respected her privacy.
And I created my first lino printing and she smiled at me, it was a good start. I told her that I created my vision of parenthood in A Ukraine at war, with these mums and dads wishing above all to protect what they had the most precious…
I told the old lady that I did a project to help raising money for Children in Ukraine with NFT and CryptoArt. Her curiosity got triggered. She mentioned that back in the time she sold her art as postcard to help refugees but never heard about NFT… I told her that NFT would be a lovely way to protect her beloved Ukrainian culture and Art and we should have a play with Digital Art and CryptoArt together. And I saw a little stars shining in her eyes. As much as I can I explain her the technics and I took the lino printing we did together and with my iPad show her the wonders we could do — I blended it with a watercolour and she was amazed! Her two favorite technics in one piece and I minted it forever on the Blockchain! I told her, no bomb, no attack would never put it at risk and our legacy was safe forever.
She was the one have a tear. She stood up. Gathered her belongings. Made a few steps. And back to me. Huge smile. « My family is you, Art lovers, Artists… I lived for Art and dedicated my Art to preserve Ukrainian Art and Traditions, Cultures. Keep going. You make me proud»
And she vanished in a whirlwind.
In an instant, 4,000+ artworks blew away in the park, mixing with the autumn leaves.
And a signature. Olena Kulchytska.
You’ll never be forgotten.”
