A WORD ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JUSTYNA NAHORNIAK
Justyna Nahorniak, currently residing in Tucson, Arizona, is a highly skilled artist in the Ukrainian folk art of decorating Easter Eggs called Pysanky. Justyna, a petite 82-years young Ukrainian learned the ancient art when she was a young girl of 8 living in Stryj, Ukraine. She has managed to continue this ancient tradition through WWII, in a forced labor camp in Germany, and then refined her art in Belgium, where her husband worked in a coal mine. The Nahorniak family came to the United States and settled in Chicago in 1955.

Justyna uses no patterns, stencils or copying material for her elegant eggs. No two eggs are alike, from Justyna's mind flow the ideas in creating these original designs that spread goodwill and hope of eternal life. Justyna's ornate fowl pearls are truly exquisite.

Justyna's most rewarding accomplishment has been to teach the art, not only to her daughter, Vera Samycia but also her grand children Christina and Markian. A tradition that Ukrainian families cherish and attempt to propagate from generation to generation. Justyna believes as most Ukrainians do that as long as Pysanky writing continues, Goodness will triumph and the world will continue to exist. Should the custom cease, Evil will encircle the world and destroy it.

VERA SAMYCIA
At the age of 31, Vera Samycia of Chicago began seriously studying the art of egg decorating. Under her mother's tutelage, Vera mastered the art quickly and soon developed her own unique style and sense of color without sacrificing the rituals, the symbols, and the traditions. Soon decorating Pysanky took a life of it's own. What started out as a bonding between mother and daughter became a mission, almost an obsession. It was the birth of Samycia's ethnic consciousness.

Vera spent the past 30 years perfecting her art, conducting workshops, demonstrations and exhibits. She is a member of the Ukrainian National Women's League and the Goodwill Ambassador of the Ukrainian National Museum. She belongs to the Illinois Artisans Program and has been the recipient of several grants. Vera has been recognized as a master instructor by the Illinois Arts Council. Her teaching skill is demonstrated in the "Ukrainian Power" video II, where puppets learn about Pysanky. Also, Vera's Pysanky play a major role in the movie entitled, "The Secret", featuring Chicago's Ukrainian Village (soon to be released).

In the past both artisans have been featured in numerous newspaper articles and have appeared singly and together on numerous TV shows. Around Easter time Justyna and Vera are in constant demand to give workshops and demonstrations. They often enjoy creating Pysanky as a team. Together, they donate the fruit of their labor to religious and civics organizations to help subsidize their charitable causes.

Justyna's and Vera's Pysanky are clearly out of the ordinary.

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