Lecture: Stitched Narratives (On Ukrainian Embroidered Pillows)

A talk by Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn, PhD, Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography, Kule Folklore Centre, University of Alberta

Podushky, or Ukrainian embroidered pillows, are one of the most popular and enduring domestic symbols of Ukrainian Canadian ethnic identity. In Ukraine, there are recorded references to embroidered pillows dating back to the 1600s. The tradition continued with the early immigrants to Canada. Every podushka represents hundreds of hours of detailed stitchery, and in households today they are often kept for their ancestral connections as well as the sheer beauty of the craftsmanship. Guest speaker Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn is Canada’s foremost expert in the history and art of podushky. She joins us to explore this fascinating art form, in conjuction with the exhibition Threads of Home: Transformations in Ukrainian Domesticity.

Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn, PhD, a celebrated artist and professor, dedicates her career to global engagement through art. Renowned for expertise in Ukrainian Canadian Folklore, she developed online courses for the University of Alberta and holds the Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography, directing the Kule Folklore Centre.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 7:00 PM CST.