BEADING GALLERY
I’m a Ukrainian-born disabled artist based in Chicago. For more than ten years, I created medical guides, reported tech and science stories, blogs, videos, and podcasts. Now I make beaded art using traditional Ukrainian techniques and modern patterns.
I learned how to weave on a loom as a child—though I’d forgotten it all until 2023, when I was looking for a way to reconnect with my culture. Beading is now the way I honor my Ukrainian heritage, though the patterns are often inspired by my current home, Chicago. Ideas come when I take a colorful photo or peruse the Art Institute’s digital archive—by now, I see city scenes and artworks in bead colors. When the combination feels right, I make the beading pattern a reality.