There is a stereotype that people began to read less. If we take into account paper books, then yes, they are not in high demand in the digital age. Electronic and audio versions of books are another matter.
Interest in them is growing all over the world. In the USA last year, the number of audiobook downloads increased by 20%, in Europe – by 17%. Sales of e-books are even greater, in fact they outsell audio books.
Therefore, books do not lose their appeal for people of the so-called book culture. For those who cannot imagine a single day without a book, and for artists who are inspired by literary creativity to offer the world something unique…
We met with Olena Medvedeva, a craftswoman from Rivne, who has been embroidering books for over 15 years. It was she who founded the publishing house of handmade books “Creative Book”, created three embroidered fonts and initiated the unique technique of “thread graphics”.
Ms. Olena flips through the books she created. Hands – in gloves, so as not to spoil the paths made with love. It begins with Shevchenko’s “Kobzar”, says: “It was published ten years ago. The pages are canvas. Everything in the book has been preserved as in the first edition, which was a facsimile. They embroidered it. As in the original, the text does not begin with a ballad.” Causal”, and the poem “My thoughts, my thoughts” is followed by “Perebendya”. There are dedications and six paintings by Shevchenko. We know that he was a brilliant portraitist, a brilliant painter. These works belong to his early work – 1832 – 42 years. They were scanned and translated into a “cross” so that they could be reproduced in embroidery. “Kateryna” has 48 colors.
In total, the book contains 46 pages and weighs three and a half kilograms.
Here is the famous “Poplar”. Taras Shevchenko traveled in Ukraine, went on expeditions, made sketches. The poplar was drawn with a pencil. I embroidered it with a cross.
Here is another painting by Shevchenko that we embroidered. This is his “Gypsy fortune teller”. For it, Shevchenko received a silver medal in St. Petersburg.
In Kobzar, we also placed a little-known painting by Kobzar “The Liberation of the Apostle Peter from Prison”, it echoes the liberation from serfdom. And “Self-Portrait” – that’s how spiritual young Taras was.
Photo: IA “FACT”
How many years did you embroider “Kobzar”?
Anna Tymoshok and I worked on it for two years. They embroidered every day. Each page was embroidered on canvas, by hand. Each line was carefully checked to make sure there were no mistakes. If necessary, the words were steamed and re-embroidered. They kept everything as in the original. An interesting moment – when Taras Hryhorovych wanted to inform the reader that the thought was not complete, he did not put three dots, which we are used to, but allowed himself four, five, six and even seven dots. We embroidered all this as the poet saw fit.
How did you get this idea – to embroider books?
Mother’s love prompted me to do this. In childhood
my son started writing fairy tales, he was very good at it. And I wanted to embody them in some unusual way, and not just print them. I started embroidering. A tale about a hedgehog – on a green background. About the snowflake Darynka – on blue. Another fairy tale – on terracotta. Embroidered fairy tales were accumulating. They created a whole bookshelf. And finally I thought about it. You can “print” books in other techniques.
Now I have an amber book, a beaded book, and a book made of willow twigs. There is a toy book, there is a herbarium book. There are more than 30 of them in total.
How do you work on books?
Like any other person who thoroughly approaches work, I study everything about the author, watch documentaries and feature films, get acquainted with publications, and then get to work.
Let’s take Frank’s book. After getting acquainted with the materials of his life, we were able to reproduce the pattern of one of Frank’s favorite embroidery from photographs.
Therefore, on the pages of his book, you can see the pattern he wore, embroidered with blue and red threads. So the ornament in the book is not accidental.
How much time do you devote to embroidery every day?
On average 5-6 hours a day. I can work more than ten hours on weekends. Not all my life is spent in embroidery. I am also a journalist, psychologist, writer…
Have you tried applying for grants to support your creativity?
They say that if God gives an idea, he will give an idea. I have never applied for grants. I made it to the finals of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, but… they didn’t understand my idea.
In addition to large books, do you also embroider miniatures?
Yes, I make European-style miniatures. This means that they meet international standards. Here, for example, is an embroidered excerpt from “Forest Song” by Lesya Ukrainka. This is a real miniature. If it is less than 8 pages, it will no longer meet the standards. If it is higher than 12 cm, it will not be considered a standard miniature either. Everything here is done by hand. The patterns are also not accidental – reproduced from the album of Olena Pchilka.
I heard that you work with a needle that holds the record for the number of stitches made…
This is an ordinary needle. I embroidered more than five million letters with it. This is where the philosophy of the tool comes into play. When it is used repeatedly and a product is created with it, then it becomes invaluable.
You know, children sometimes dream of a magic brush to create pictures. No, it doesn’t happen like that. Only when you create something yourself with this brush, it becomes magical.
However, I have one page embroidered not by my needle, but by Lesyna. Once we were with colleagues in Kolodyazhny, in the Literary Museum. And so in the exhibition Lesya Ukrainka saw the Kosachi family’s hollychka. They opened it for us and allowed us to take a needle for work. I embroidered this text with a needle that was in Lesya’s hands.
Photo: IA “FACT”
Do your books need special storage?
Yes, two years of work – two years of heart for each book. That’s why I take care of them. You cannot leave embroidered works in the open air, put them under direct sunlight, or keep them in humid air.
Currently, an art space “Embroidered Books” is being prepared in Rivne. Actually, they will be stored there.
Are there already those craftsmen who support your idea?
Yes. Many women joined the “Embroidery in Ukrainian” project. We embroider motivational quotes about language, about our unity. We reproduce the texts with the help of my thread graphics.
The works of Elena Medvedeva have not only artistic, but also significant historical significance. They preserve the memory of the author’s originals and the context in which they were created.
In November 2019, the artist set a national record of Ukraine — hand-embroidered the largest tome book.
