Material Fables

Elena Scharabun 

Elena Scharabun considers herself a fibre artist and enjoys playing with thread and fabrics. She has long been embroidering blouses, rushnyky, pictures and many other items. Elena also enjoys quilting – the art of cutting up fabrics and resewing them into something new. She has made numerous quilts for all members of her family, from the youngest to the oldest. Elena finds quilting a peaceful process.

With all the wonderful artists involved with ACUA, Elena has enjoyed learning new things to do with those threads and fabrics. Rag weaving and Motanky are two workshops she has taken and she continues to create items learned at them. From the basic Motanka style, Elena has continued to add different styles to her repertoire.

Elena is now also working with found embroideries, repurposing and recycling to create new items.

Svitlana Kravchuk

Svitlana Kravchuk is a multidisciplinary artist, born in a small town of Boyarka, Ukraine and has been settled in Edmonton, Alberta for 5 years now. Svitlana earned two Hon. BA’s from University of Toronto in Visual Arts and Book & Media Studies in 2013. She has exhibited her work in Ukraine, Middle East and Canada. Through her work she deconstructs concepts of displacement, folk tradition, as well as individual and social trauma. After creating visuals for a renowned dance production Ancestor’s and Elders that premiered in Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, she continued working with ideas of transformation, resulting in creation of imagery for FABLE ME: Love Poems with Echo in the Spirit, where Svitlana has collaborated with author Sasha X (under Daffodil Art Collective) in producing an interactive poetry book that deeply intertwined written word with visual expressions. FABLE ME is now being sold in large and small independent bookstores in Edmonton, as well as online. At the moment, Svitlana is working on her new series of wood-burning pieces that explore linguistics, folklore and nature behind the names of twelve months in Ukrainian.

COVID-19 Protocols

ACUA’s gallery and artisan boutique is open to the public.  We are following strict procedures to ensure everyone’s safety during this time.  Due to COVID-19 concerns, social distancing and mask-wearing policies are being followed.  ACUA will provide masks, hand sanitizer, hand washing stations, and gloves to patrons visiting the gallery.  Please note, in addition to ACUA employees, only 6 patrons will be permitted in the building at a time.