Embroidery Paintings
Being a first generation Ukrainian/American, I grew up being told I was Ukrainian and everyone else was American. I spoke Ukrainian at home, went to Ukrainian school on Saturdays and Ukrainian church on Sundays. This was a hard place to be in, when all I wanted was to fit in. Even my name, Bohdanna, made me stand out as different. But now as an adult, looking back at my childhood, I appreciate how special my upbringing was. I belonged to a culture rich with history and traditions. A big part of those traditions were wearing blouses and decorating our homes in Ukrainian embroidery. Ukrainian embroidery is a code, and each pattern can be linked back to a specific region of Ukraine, even the colors have meaning. This series of paintings are my exploration of my childhood, my ancestors and the reality that everything I came from is now being wiped away.