Grandmother Pavlina
When I was small, I always went to my grandmother Pavlina Yosypivna. And each time my grandmother told me: “Irka, you come to help to notch on vessels! ” - Now I will show you what a notch is. – she is reaching for the mug. "Do you see the pictures?" And here there are such notches. Notches help to emphasize the picture, make it more expressive. My grandmother used to potter all the time, my sister Nadia painted, and I made notches. One day my grandmother looked at me like that and said, "You know, Irka, it seems to me that you'll be a potter."
The woman is dressed in a black dress that covers her wide hips. The white belt is sparkling with thin gold and brown threads on her waist. The neck is gently wrapped in a thin necklace of white pearls. The hair is dyed fiery red. She has got a short haircut. The contours of the face are emphasized by light make-up. The most visible ones are her lips, covered with bright pearl-pink lipstick. Iryna Tsvilyk-Serohina is one of the most famous masters of Kosiv ceramics and pottery in Ukraine. She is 71 and she is still a potter. The woman continues the work of her grandmother – Pavlina Tsvilyk, who was one of the leading and famous Kosiv craftswomen. She instilled in her granddaughter a love of family business and was the first mentor of little Iryna, who has preserved the ancient traditions of her grandmother to this day and which she skillfully and masterfully uses in the technique of pottery and ceramics.
Iryna Tsvilyk-Serohina was born and raised in Kosiv. She also went to school here and studied at the Kosiv School of Applied and Decorative Arts.
The heart of ancient Ukrainian pottery
I have a brown one on my jug, can you see?" And there is already a darker one. I gave too much whitewashing and it turned out in such a darker color.
Plates and a vase with ears
Once at an exhibition in Kyiv, one of the journalists asked my husband what he liked to do the most. And he said: "Plates and a vase with ears!"
Everyone still remembers my Vania and his "vase with ears…" He was able to create new forms.
Everyone had a couple, and I was left alone. Everyone thought who would help me.
The matter of the whole life
Filling the plot lines is important for Hutsuls in the creation of Kosiv ceramics. This conveys the artistic manner of each master in a special way. Iryna says that the main inspiration for her work is the continuous spirit of the Carpathians, where every time you want to dissolve, as if swimming in a wide sea, and then draw new shapes and colors in your own head. Fabulous birds, all kinds of animals, nature, and mountain landscapes create a unique palette of moods of the Carpathian region on the decorative dinnerware of the master.
Mrs. Iryna is a participant in many exhibitions in Ukraine, and her works are in many private collections. In 2009, Iryna Tsvilyk-Serohina was awarded the honorary title of Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, but she speaks about it very modestly. She proudly demonstrates all her creations, which are seen from all corners of the spacious and bright woman`s room.
When I come to my workroom, I feel that it is the dearest thing I have in my life. My niece Oksana, just like me, loves to draw for hours. Sometimes she calls me and asks, "Auntie, what are you doing?"
"I am drawing" "Me too"
