Diana Yevtukh is a Ukrainian artist who uses embroidery as a medium to convey a larger artistic message. Her unique pieces are created by incorporating embroidery patterns into natural crevices in trees and other outdoor spaces, bringing the otherwise ordinary surroundings to life and adding to the overall meaning of the piece.

Born and based in Lviv, Yevtukh's work has been heavily influenced by the natural environment. She describes her work as a way to reveal the "character and charm" of the materials she uses, such as "cracked concrete of the neighboring house wall," "corroded tinplate," or "a once handmade, and now a ragged old mesh fence."

However, after the Russia invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Yevtukh's work shifted focus as it began to reflect her current emotions and the political situation in her country. She explains that "My whole world of blooming flowers was turned upside down. It's like your heart had been broken into and the invaders are continuously torturing you from the inside."

To express these emotions, Yevtukh began to reimagine her past embroideries digitally. "I started to remake my previous works digitally, to represent my current emotions," she says. "The bark of the trees was scorched. The soul of the tree was crying in blue and yellow tears. The fields of flowers were surrounded by doom and shadowed by the bombers."

Despite the darkness and despair that is often present in her work, Yevtukh also finds hope in her art. "These gloom emotions are closely followed by hope: in the end, the spring will come anew, and flowers will always bloom again," she says.

Yevtukh's work is a striking and powerful reflection of the current political and social situation in Ukraine, and her use of embroidery as a medium adds a unique and personal touch to her message. Her work is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for renewal and growth.

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Photographize granted permission to feature photos by Diana Yevtukh

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