Behind the Craft exhibition, taking place from 4–6 September at the main venue of Ukrainian Fashion Week SS27, will bring together 70 fashion looks and design objects by Ukrainian fashion brands, alongside the stories of the artisans behind them. Dedicated to Ukrainian craft and its contemporary reinterpretation, the exhibition traces the transformation of traditional techniques within contemporary fashion and design. Behind the Craft is curated by Maria Gavryliuk and Natalia Kamenska, co-founders and creative directors of GUNIA Project.

The exhibition will feature ARTEMKLIMCHUK, ASSHA, BASNY RUGS, BOBKOVA, FROLOV, GASANOVA, GORN CERAMICS, GUCULIYA DECOR, GUNIA Project, GUSHKA, ii, J’AMEMME, KARAVAY, KHRYSTYNA RACHYTSKA, KSENIASCHNAIDER, MAKHNO, MAPICO, MY THEATRE by Dariia Bila, NADIIA, OMELIA, PODYH, POUSTOVIT, SIDLETSKIY, the COAT by Katya Silchenko, TONiA, VANDRA RUGS, VOZIANOV and YAKUSH.

“Today in Ukraine, we are witnessing an important cultural transformation: craft is gradually moving beyond a purely ethnographic context to become an integral part of contemporary culture. It is finding its place across fashion, design, architecture and art, taking on new meaning and value. Behind the Craft seeks to capture this moment. Rather than offering an exhaustive study of Ukrainian craft, the exhibition aims to reflect a broader shift within the industry and open up a wider conversation — about both the brands and the artisans behind the objects on display. Part of this conversation will unfold through a collaborative project with the media platform Frontliner, presented as part of the exhibition, which invites visitors to look beyond the finished object to the process of making it and the people behind it,” says Maria Gavryliuk, co-founder of GUNIA Project and curator of Behind the Craft.

After decades in which Soviet industrialisation systematically displaced manual labour and devalued artisanal knowledge, craftsmanship is reclaiming both its symbolic and economic value. Techniques preserved and passed down by generations of artisans, often in spite of the system, are finding new life today, becoming an integral part of contemporary design and fashion. Behind the Craft captures this moment of transformation, opening a conversation about the potential of craft and its future.

“We want to reveal what usually remains unseen. Behind every object are real people — their experience, knowledge, time, tools and materials. The questions ‘Who?’ and ‘How?’ become a starting point for Behind the Craft. The first reveals the stories of those preserving and developing craft traditions, while the second explores the processes, technologies and practices through which an object is made and reinterpreted in a contemporary fashion context by Ukrainian brands. For us, Behind the Craft is not only an exhibition about craft, but also a way of making visible the work that is shaping contemporary Ukrainian culture,” says Natalia Kamenska, co-founder of GUNIA Project and curator of Behind the Craft.

Ukrainian employment platform Work.ua joins Behind the Craft as partner. The partnership expands the conversation around craft, inviting audiences to consider it not only as cultural heritage, but as a living professional ecosystem — one that creates jobs, passes knowledge from one generation to the next, and builds a renewed appreciation for the value of skilled manual work in Ukraine.

Behind the Craft will be open to the public on 5–6 September, from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Admission is free with advance registration by 30 August via the link.