Pysanka - La bellezza fragile dell'arte Ucraina

The fragile beauty of one of the oldest forms of Ukrainian folk art. Promoted by Roma Capitale, the Department of Culture, and the Capitoline Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, with the patronage of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Italian Republic, the exhibition at the Casina delle Civette in Villa Torlonia showcases the traditional artistic technique of painting eggshells (“pysanka”) using beeswax, whose roots date back to pre-Christian times.

The art of pysankarstvo has been carefully passed down from generation to generation. The designs depicted on the eggs form a complex set of symbols that give each pysanka a special meaning, transforming the eggs, which in themselves symbolise life, into a kind of magical amulet.

The 74 pysanky masterpieces and 18 paintings on display, based on traditional techniques and decorations, trace the evolution of this ancient art form up to contemporary works. The works were created by Larysa Iskiv, one of Ukraine’s most famous artists, painters and graphic artists Volodymyr Lutsyk and Lilia Babiak, and Ala Zarvanytska, whose watercolours won first prize at the IX Biennale Metropoli in Turin in 2024.