Feature Arts & Craft Medium — “Pysanky”

We sent out one of our team, Heather Yuen, to talk with a very interesting lady about “Pysanky Art”… What follows is a fascinating and revealing interview between Heather and Nadya Chornenky, and an introduction to the world of Easter Egg Art.

Easter has come and gone again for this year, but the art prevails... Though Ukrainian Easter Egg art is normally associated with the Easter season, you'll discover in the following interview that it truly has a timeless quality... Enjoy!

Nadya Chornenky has been creating Pysanky for over 30 years. Her family is of Ukrainian heritage and her knowledge of decorating eggs in both her own as well as a variety of cultures is extensive. She currently resides in Calgary.

Whether you are of Ukrainian descent or not, many of us have seen Ukrainian Easter eggs. We know they can be unique pieces of art. They have been an Easter tradition for many years. We’ve asked Nadya to tell us about them.

HY:

How long have you been making Ukrainian Easter eggs?

NC:

I’ve been making them for over 30 years… I started as a teen. My family didn’t make them and they were thrilled when I went to a Youth Group Workshop at my Church and learned. They taught the history of making pysanky or Ukrainian Easter eggs as well as the techniques.

Pysanka means one egg and pysanky means several eggs. Pysanky are made during the Lenten period leading up to Easter. They are part of the 6 weeks of spiritual cleansing of Lent.

HY:

Tell us a bit about the history of the Ukrainian decoration of eggs. When & where it started, why, first techniques, how it evolved.

NC:

The eggs date back to the pre-Christian era. There is archeological evidence of decorated eggs dating back 2000 years.

These first eggs are known as Trypillian eggs. They are distinguished by their earth-tone colors. They were dyed using the materials at hand which were clays and are of browns and duller reds.

In this time, the people knew that when the birds left, it got dark and cold and snow followed. Plants stopped growing. Then, the birds returned and soon it got warm and the sun shone more often and more strongly and plants started growing again. These birds were obviously very powerful. It was believed they left to go to a mystical place and took the sun with them. Soon after the birds returned, there were eggs. To show honour and respect for these powerful birds, people took the eggs and inscribed them with messages to the birds, to ensure the birds would return. The decorating motifs of eggs in this period related to Mother Nature and Earth.

In 988, Christianity was introduced to the Ukraine. The symbolism on the eggs changed to the religious symbols, more colours were introduced and meaning was attached to the colours: white for purity, dark colours represented the Gates of Heaven, blue was associated with health, red with passion and love, purple with royalty, orange with endurance, everlasting sun and ambition. The eggs were imbued with special powers… for example, when a house was built, a pysanka was placed under each corner to ward off evil spirits.

HY:

Tell us how you create them, describe the process a bit.

NC:

The process is very similar to batik in that you dye the egg and use wax to preserve that color and then dip it into another dye.

You work from light to dark. You need to know the pattern ahead of time, especially where the whites are. So you first preserve any whites by applying beeswax. Then you dip the egg in the lightest color (usually yellow). Once this has darkened to suit, you dry the egg and then preserve any yellows by applying wax on them. Then you dip the egg in the next darkest colour dye, maybe an orange. You continue this way, adding wax to preserve a colour and dipping in dyes. Once you are done, you heat the egg to melt and remove the wax, revealing the pattern.

The eggs are coated to seal the dye and some are blown, a process to remove the inside of the yolk, and some not. Traditionally, the eggs are NOT to be blown, as the yolk represented Christ. The eggs were turned on a regular basis and over a couple of years, the inside dried up and turns to dust. I usually blow mine though because if one gets cracked, it spoils and the smell is very pungent.

HY:

Describe Ukrainian Easter eggs for us.

NC:

It looks like a painted egg, often in a very geometric pattern. The pattern however, tells a story with colors and design. Every egg should tell a story and should be created for a specific person. For example, this egg was made for a family member who was travelling to Australia, so the egg has symbols of the sun and aboriginal figures to represent the country where he is going and the cross and branches are symbols for protection.

HY:

How are pysanky used?

NC:

They are NOT eaten! They are given as special gifts with a lot of symbolism and meaning and they take time to create, so they are treasured. We also have more simply coloured eggs that ARE eaten… they are krashanky… they are decorated with different colors, more like the coloured eggs associate with the Easter Bunny. Our Easter baskets have krashanky and meat and dairy products and other things that have been given up for the Lenten period. If you are lucky, you also have a pysanka. On Easter morning, you take your Easter basket to church to have it blessed. At home, they are displayed in several ways…. often in a special crystal or glass bowl or on stands, either for one egg or to display several. Some eggs are displayed in a special bowl with grains of wheat...wheat was very important in the Ukraine... it was often called the Bread Basket of Russia.

HY:

What do you love about making them?

NC:

I like that I make them as a gift for someone, a symbol of the respect and love for that person. I also find it very relaxing to make them and it’s enjoyable and fun. I like working with a 3D object and I like to make up my own designs, especially as a gift for someone.

HY:

What are the challenges?

NC:

Breakage of course! And it’s hard to get eggs that are not coated in oil or wax so the dyes will adhere nicely. Date stamps are a problem too. I have to buy “premium” eggs. Another challenge is finding the time to do them …. one egg takes about 5 – 6 hours depending on the intricacies of the pattern. And finding the right tools and dyes. It’s not too bad in large cities, where there are Ukrainian specialty stores. But outside of cities people need to mail order supplies. As well, you need a picture or pattern to look at. And if you are just starting, it can be a challenge finding a teacher to show you how to make them.

The patterns are very symmetrical and it can be a challenge keeping the symmetry. And the fact that they are a 3D object is a little challenging, although it also makes it more interesting to me.

Anyone can learn though… I have taught many workshops for school age kids and even 3 and 4 year olds. They are taught to respect the candle and other tools and they do quite well. Kids generally love it… they like the process and are thrilled with the results.

A word of caution … don’t wear a lot of hair gel or hairspray though… one boy had a lot of gel in his hair and as he bent over the candle to heat the wax, the gel went up in smoke… he was fine but everyone was quite surprised.

HY:

What things do you need? Equipment, types of eggs, etc.

NC:

You need fresh, uncooked eggs. I use chicken, duck and goose eggs. I did one ostrich egg but it was very difficult due to the size… the patterns needed to be adjusted and it took a long time and it was harder to hold as well.

You need wax… I use bees wax as it has a higher melting temperature and so it adheres to the egg better…. paraffin doesn’t seem to seal as well and the dyes seep under the edge of the wax and you lose the crisp, clean lines. You need some tools … a kistochka to apply the wax. The name comes from the word kistka which means bone; chicken bones were used as tools. Everything used to make the pysanky is symbolic… the people used basic staples and what they had at hand… beeswax, chicken bones as a tool to apply the wax, clay and later vegetable based dyes and chicken eggs. You need a candle to melt the wax and you need some dyes. Now there are electric kistochka and egg lathes … I don’t like the electric kistochkas though as I find the temperature isn’t as hot as when melting the wax with a candle and I can’t get as crisp a line. Today dyes are bought in a powdered form… you mix them with water and vinegar to mix them up.

Originally, clay was used as well as treebark. Later onion skins and other vegetables such as carrots and beets were used to make dyes. In the 60’s and 70’s, crepe paper streamers were soaked in vinegar and water to release the dye in them.

HY:

Is there anything that makes creating Ukrainian Easter eggs unique or different?

NC:

The process of creating them makes them unique. Using beeswax and a kistochka and dyes and the layering of colour and the predominantly geometric designs identify the Ukrainian Easter egg.

There are many cultures that decorate eggs. Eggs were featured in the mythology of Egypt, Greece, China and Persia. There are painted eggs in Japan that look similar to the painted Japanese dolls. The Chinese had cloisonné eggs and I’ve seen pictures of eggs in pheasant feathers. Ukrainians also have beaded eggs. I have a carved Emu egg… the artist uses dentist tools to carve into the shell and then she dyes or paints them. And of course, there are the Faberge eggs, studded with jewels! The Ukrainian Easter egg tradition spread to surrounding countries like Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia, where they were adapted to their culture and life. These eggs look quite different: the colours and symbolism is their own. Romanian eggs are painted with oil paints and they look like their religious paintings on wood.

Pysanky are most prevalent in the Western Ukraine. The Eastern Ukraine was more dominated by Russia who tried to stamp out the practice, especially during the Communist era due to the strong religious symbolism of pysanky. I know of some people who came to Canada from this area and were amazed when they saw pysanky for the first time.

There are 5 or 6 main areas in the Ukraine where pysanky are popular. I can tell which part of the Ukraine an egg is from by the colours and designs…. the Western Ukraine uses lots of oranges and browns and are very geometric while the Eastern Ukraine use more reds and blacks, more flowers and are more flowing. Interestingly, the egg designs are very similar to the embroidery designs in each area. Since the Ukraine has regained it’s independence, the tradition of making pysanky is rebounding and they have developed some new techniques as well… they have developed something to fill the eggs after they are blown to make them less likely to break. There has also been a tradition of making wooden eggs, carved and decorated, so they could be sent in the mail.

HY:

So, the tradition of making pysanky is not dying out?

NC:

Yes and no…. for many people, it is just too time consuming and children aren’t taught how. But those who do try it, usually really like it and carry on with it. It’s important to me that the traditional reasons about WHY they are done is maintained, as opposed to associating them with the Easter Bunny or making eggs with a design of Bart Simpson. Designs and colours absolutely change over time and with different cultures but I wouldn’t want to see it commercialized and lose the strong symbolism associated with pysanky.

HY:

Do you know if they are displayed anywhere as “art” ?

NC:

There are museums across Canada that display pysanky. They also explain the history of the craft and the peoples’ lives at the time. One example is the Royal Ontario Museum. Many Ukrainian Orthodox churches will have a small museum as well. Near Easter, some libraries will display them too. And of course, they are mostly displayed in the home.

HY:

Any sources of information for someone who’s interested in learning more?

NC:

There are LOTS of books on the subject, both “how to do” books and ones that talk about the history of it. Many are available at libraries.

There is also lots of information on the internet … just type in pysanky or Ukrainian Easter eggs. There is information on the history, how to make them and where to find supplies.

Editorial Comments:

We wish to thank Nadya for sharing her extensive knowledge of and passion for Pysanky or Ukrainian Easter eggs. The images of pysanky in this article are hers… and they are truly beautiful objects of art.

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