The UHEC is proud to present the first presentation in the United States of the exhibition "Sacred Straw", consisting of straw appliqué icons created by Myroslava Boikiv and a photo exhibit of Solom'yanky (straw decorated eggs) by Parania Sozanski. This exhibition is adapted from the 2023 exhibition presented by the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch.
Myroslava Boikiv is a Ukrainian artist based in Toronto whose multidisciplinary practice is rooted in traditional craft. With a background in museum curation and textile restoration in Ukraine, she now works primarily with textile, straw art, and watercolour. Her work explores themes of cultural memory, sustainability, and meditative making grounded in heritage.
She refers to straw as “Nature’s Gold” — a material rich in symbolism within Ukrainian folk tradition. Using natural dyes, she colours stalks of wheat, rye, and oats, which she presses and arranges onto wooden boards to create luminous compositions. These works echo sacred icons and seasonal rituals from Pokuttia — a region in western Ukraine known for its vibrant folk art. Bridging ancestral knowledge with contemporary expression, her practice preserves a fragile, nearly forgotten tradition while offering it renewed voice and relevance.
Now living and working in Canada, Myroslava continues to weave connections between place, memory, and material.
Also on view are Solom’yanky by Parania Sozanski — intricately decorated pysanky adorned with straw. These delicate works reveal another facet of Ukraine’s straw artistry, evoking floral and geometric beauty through humble, natural materials.