Threads of Resilience in the Fabric Collages of Liubov Panchenko
17 October 2023
Folklore Lunch: Threads of Resilience in the Fabric Collages of Liubov Panchenko
Presenter: Nataliia Yesypenko, Researcher and Archivist Assistant, BMUF Archives
October 27, 2023 | 12pm MDT | Kule Folklore Centre, 250 Old Arts Bldg.
(In person presentation)
The name of Liubov Panchenko (1938-2022) became widely known after her tragic demise during the notorious occupation of Bucha. She was born and spent her entire life in this town, near to Kyiv.
Panchenko was a multi-thematic artist who worked in various genres. Her collages, however, mark the heyday of her talent. In these artworks, Panchenko included protest motifs, which she had not resorted to before. The early 1970s proved to be one of the harshest periods for many conscious Ukrainians, marked by arrests and persecutions. Panchenko and some of her close friends, political and civic activists, were sent to mental clinics as a result of their art. Healthy people were forced to undergo treatment with the goal of being "broken down" at the behest of the regime. On the verge of her mental collapse, Panchenko came up with the idea of creating her memorable collages
Liubov, a free-thinking woman with a stubborn character, did not compromise her views on artistic creation to please the Soviet regime. When she was asked once to change her work, she answered: “If a minister does not like my work, then this is the minister who should be replaced but not my work.”
Nataliia Yesypenko will explain the versatility of Panchenko's talent. She will lead us through the path of the artist's growth and immerse Kule Folklore lunch attendees in the beautiful world of landscapes, colours and textures of Panchenko's works. Nataliia will demonstrate more and less-known examples, including a few original posters that are housed in the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives collections.
Before coming to Canada, Nataliia Yesypenko worked as a research fellow and tour guide at the Sixtiers Museum in Kyiv for 13 years. Her professional interest was in Ukrainian history from 1960-1980 years, collection management and museum studies. Since January 2023, Nataliia has been a Researcher and Archivist Assistant at the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives. She arranges, describes and provides public access and references to the BMUFA collections. Nataliia participates in professional archival societies and conferences on behalf of the Archives.
Image: Liubov Panchenko. Вогнище інквізиції. Inquisition Fire. 1973. Collage. Coat Fabric. The Sixtiers Museum Collection.
This is an in-person event, however the presentation will be available on our Youtube channel and our website after the event: ukrfolk.ca.
For more information, contact: ukrfolk@ualberta.ca
See the full presentation on our Youtube Channel or below: