Фота: сацсеткі
An exhibition titled “Rukhava Carpets” has opened at the Minsk art gallery Tsentr of the Center for Folk Art.
Rukhava carpets are large decorative wall panels adorned with appliqué made from brightly colored straw on black fabric stretched over a wooden frame. The production of carpets using this technique is widespread in the village of Rukhava (Staryja Darohi District, Minsk Region). The founder of the local tradition was Katsiaryna Rusakovich (1925–1997), who developed a method of decorating living spaces that became widespread in the post-war period. The craftswoman inspired her relatives and fellow villagers. She not only made the carpets herself but also trained a younger generation of artisans who continue the tradition to this day.
Rukhava carpets combine achievements of straw appliqué with elements of other forms of folk art, including painted carpets, woven coverings and embroidery. According to art historian Yauhen Sakhuta, it was the craftswomen of Rukhava who brought the art of straw appliqué on fabric to its highest level of perfection.
Traditional Rukhava carpets are large wall panels decorated with brightly colored straw appliqué on black fabric stretched over a wooden frame. The symmetrical arrangement of straw patterns across the entire surface begins with a central motif, which may feature a lush bouquet of flowers, a tree with birds, or a pair of deer, hares or doves rendered in a naïve realistic style and framed by a floral wreath. The edges of the carpet are bordered with rosettes, flowers and plant motifs.
The tradition of producing carpets using straw appliqué on fabric, practiced in the villages of Rukhava and Palazhevichy and in the town of Staryja Darohi in Minsk Region, was added to the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus in 2020.
The exhibition runs through June 28 at 4 Hikala Street.