Mary Loretta Kelly

Twenty years ago I meandered through an art fair in Woodbury, Connecticut, and picked up one of my favorite pieces of folk art. I was struck by the beauty of the design, but when I learned from the collector that it is Petrykivka, reverse painting-on-glass, unique to Ukraine, and the artist must paint using a mirror looking over his shoulder to see what he is doing, I had to have it. Since I can’t paint in forward motion and this rendering in reverse, I was even more enthralled and impressed. 

I had no idea what the symbols meant, but with a bit of research I found that what we are witnessing from the people of Ukraine during these past weeks of horror is etched in their identity and their art. Some of the following symbols in my small (4” x 6”) piece of painted glass include: the wild boar indicating incredible strength, resolute courage and fearless aggression; the third eye is often described as the window to the soul, but also spiritual illumination; the triangle represents the Trinity in its religious connotation, but also the natural elements of water, fire, air; and the firebird denotes the magical everlasting light.    

This is Ukraine.