Oresta Behan

Clothe you home in vyshyvanka

Why does a person immediately become more beautiful and elegant when wearing embroidery? At Easter, Christmas, christenings, or weddings, embroidery adds a special feeling of festivity, beauty, solemnity, and light.

And I thought: what if, in addition to ourselves, we could also "dress" our home in embroidery and have these feelings not only on holidays?

At the end of 2021, I had an idea to create an abstract artwork with an embroidered pattern on top. I wanted the Ukrainian tradition to look stylish and beautiful, and I wanted to present it somehow in a modern way. I always had a feeling inside that I wanted to create something unique and unrepeatable, and it seemed that it was connected with embroidery.

Unfortunately, I could not immediately realize this idea - because of the war, I was forced to flee to Poland with my son. It was there that I created my first embroidery painting, in which I depicted those feelings, that pain and fear, that despair that I experienced myself and that millions of Ukrainians experienced. Against the background of the painting, I depicted all those terrible emotions and destruction that the country was experiencing. On top of all this, I embroidered with black threads our Ukrainian embroidery, our tradition, the heritage of our culture, our genetic code, as a symbol that despite all the oppression of our people, despite all the wars, repressions, famines, Ukraine has survived, will survive this too, and will live on in each of us, because we will continue to pass on our traditions to future generations.

Later, I created the painting Christmas Cherries and realized that these works could not only evoke emotions but also decorate homes. That is how my idea of Clothe your home in vyshyvanka was born.

In my works, I combine seemingly incompatible things, ancient and modern, stylish and abstract. Each pattern carries a meaning. It is a combination of style, sophistication, and depth of traditions. It is about returning to one's roots, about the uniqueness, strength, and beauty of Ukrainian culture.

I strive for people to remember who they are, their lineage, their belonging, their culture and I want to pass these values on to future generations.

BIO

Born on December 19, 1990, in Lviv, where she still lives.

She received her education at the Danylo Halytskyi Lviv National Medical University, graduating with a master's degree in Pharmacy in 2013. Later, from 2015 to 2016, Oresta studied at the School of Bioethics of the Ukrainian Catholic University in the program "Ethical Values in Pharmaceutical Activities".
After the birth of her son, she began to search for herself, the artist was always inspired by people who are passionate about their work and love what they do, and she wanted to find the same for herself. In 2023, Oresta took courses in interior design and implementation (FOX course). She began to engage in creativity, which she had always aspired to since childhood, she began to paint abstract paintings. Embroidery has taken a special place in the artist's life, it has become a means of self-expression. It is thanks to her own developed technique that she creates unique embroidered paintings that combine tradition with a modern vision.
Oresta's paintings adorn private collections in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, and the USA.

Professional path:

Pharmacist at LLC "Market Universal LTD" (2012–2016), where since 2015 she worked as deputy head of the pharmacy.
Procurement specialist at the Corporation "Arterium", JSC "Halychpharm" (2016–2021).
Designer of children's orthodontic appliances at the orthodontic laboratory "Ortolife" (2022–2023).
The leading specialist in the circulation of registration documents at the Corporation "Arterium", JSC "Halychpharm" (2023–2024).
2024 - individual entrepreneurship.

. Exhibitions:

2024 - 2025 - Clothe your home in vyshyvanka, cafe "Moment", Lviv, Ukraine
2024 - Clothe your home in vyshyvanka, art cafe "Coffee with milk", Lviv, Ukraine