'Zemlia—Soil' by Victoria Yakusha

For the first time in Belgium, FAINA Gallery presents a two-meter wool-woven artwork Zemlia by Victoria Yakusha, an internationally-acclaimed Ukrainian designer and artist. Zemlia is part of the author’s collection ‘Stepping on Ukrainian soil’, her first work since the Russian full-scale invasion in February which was revealed at Design Miami/Basel 2022 and highlighted as the Best Curio Show of the Year. 

The layered texture of the Zemlia tapestry embodies black Ukrainian soil, while the long, umbilical-like threads represent the primal connection every Ukrainian holds with their land. To create the artwork, Victoria Yakusha used the age-old technique as the core, but added her own creative vision — rich layers emerged one onto another, like live soil, which is never homogenous. Every stitch in Zemlia is the DNA of generations, a witness to the power of Ukrainian land, its history and spirit.