Art of Embroidery

Art of Embroidery is an Etnodim initiative that views embroidery as a living cultural system.

We delve into traditional principles and adapt them to fit a modern setting. Instead of merely reproducing the past, we pursue an honest exchange with history to craft a meaningful artistic statement.

Our efforts merge creative methods, research, and handcraft—covering direct interaction with historical objects, the pursuit of novel forms, the creation of educational resources, and backing for those advancing embroidery as a contemporary medium.

With this approach, we go beyond simply safeguarding heritage; we allow it room to grow and transform.

DIY Embroidery Kits

Nowadays, we revisit embroidery not merely as a custom, but as a practice to decelerate and find our footing. The steady cadence of each stitch calms the mind, offering a chance to declutter your thoughts or simply let them wander. It is almost like meditation—straightforward, hands-on, and deeply tactile.

We have assembled embroidery kits with all the essentials to start whenever you like and produce a unique item with your own hands.

They offer a chance to master techniques that originated long before our time—such as the retyazh contour stitch, which visually resembles satin stitch but is worked over a cross-stitch base. Originating in the Liubeshiv region, this traditional technique was officially added to Volyn’s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2025.

Learn more

Etnodim Embroidery Prize

The Etnodim Embroidery Prize extends our goal of using embroidery as a vehicle for contemporary art, memory, and identity. This effort backs new artist-driven projects where embroidery is the central component of artistic creation.

We give winners a monetary grant, production assistance to realize the chosen project, and media exposure.

Learn more

Fresh Flower Shirt

This project examines how the rhythm and structural framework of an embroidered shirt operate outside the realm of fabric. At its essence, embroidery constitutes a system with its own unique grammar and organization.

Learn more

Reconstruction of Elyzaveta Skoropadska’s Shirt

This endeavor originated from a portrait of Hetmanate figure Elyzaveta Skoropadska that was once believed to be lost. Guided primarily by the painting, our team worked to recreate the shirt she wore.

To examine the cut and traditional Poltava techniques—such as lyshtva (satin stitch), shtapivka (running stitch), and vyrizuvannya (cutwork)—we engaged directly with museum archives and materials from the Vidkryta Skrynya collection. Hand-embroidering the sample alone took 156 hours of craftsmanship.

Today, the reconstructed shirt is on display at the Hetmanate Museum, and a machine-embroidered version is part of Etnodim’s main collection.

Learn more

Etnodim x Ivan Honchar Museum

This collection is rooted in the embroidered fragments from the archives of the Ivan Honchar Museum National Centre of Folk Culture—samples that are beyond physical restoration, yet remain vital testimonies of the past.

Learn more