Melroberts.net

Sophiya: A Ukrainian Puppet

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I was commissioned to make a Ukrainian puppet by Global Grooves and while I was researching I came across a young girl's face, she was called Sophiya and was missing at the time. She sadly died later in a car on a humanitarian corridor out of Ukraine.

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I felt like I wanted to reimagine her life as a gentle Ukrainian girl stepping out in her traditional best. And I wanted to celebrate hope and innocence in the face of war.

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The belt is machine embroidered in silk threads from a painting by the fabulous artist Maria Prymachenko. And the silk batik skirt was designed, combining and interpreting her images. The headdress is based on a traditional Ukrainian crown design using wheat and sunflowers showing the agricultural strength of Ukraine. The shirt is based on traditional design and the lovely Ukrainian sleeve fabric was donated by a Polish member of my family.