The tradition of painting and decorating Easter eggs goes back to pre-Christian times and is relevant to many cultures. In Ukrainian culture the receipt of a pysanka is a token of friendship, appreciation and respect and also brings with it protection from harm.
SLAVA members together with the BIG IDEA Company have created and hand painted 10 giant Ukrainian Easter eggs-pysanky. Each egg is 1 meter tall and is mounted on stands varying in height from 1 to 2 meters. Each egg is painted in traditional Ukrainian colours and symbols. The colours and various symbols have particular meaning such as: peace, health, prosperity, life, purity, hope, eternity and many more.
Pysanka Festival has been displayed at the Burnside Civic Centre where in one day more than a thousand visitors came to view the exhibition. It has also been displayed at the Gumeracha Medieval Fair where it was very popular and at St Michael’s Orthodox Church.
The giant eggs capture attention. Audiences connect with the display often taking photos of them with their families and friends. They also learn more about the tradition of pysanky, their symbolism and meaning from associated information displays. Many viewers have shared with us about a similar tradition in their families and culture.
