From 4 to 6 September, as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week SS27, the Behind the Craft exhibition opened, dedicated to Ukrainian crafts and their contemporary reinterpretation. The exhibition brought together more than 70 fashion looks and design objects, while also telling the of the artisans whose knowledge, experience and handwork lie behind their creation.

One of the exhibition participants was GUCULIYA — a contemporary Ukrainian ceramics and homeware brand that works with clay as a vessel of memory, culture and resilience. At the heart of the brand’s philosophy is a reinterpretation of archaic symbols that have accompanied humanity for thousands of years: earth, sun, water, grain, circle and fire. These symbols are neither reproduced literally nor romanticised. Stripped of folkloric ornamentation while retaining their archetypal meaning, they are translated into the restrained, minimalist language of contemporary design.

“To create something truly significant, we have to understand that it must grow beyond us. It is not about ambition. It goes deeper — to where our identity is rooted, to where the true source of creativity begins,” says Danuta Kril, founder of GUCULIYA. “The ceramics I create are emotional anchors. They are talismans. They are archetypes that carry values from one generation to the next. They are points of reference for the present and the future. One of the most important things I want to emphasise is that Ukrainian tradition has been systematically destroyed for centuries. Entire generations were forced to forget their history and culture. And yet, remarkably, it continues to be reborn, emerging again and again in the generations that follow. For me, my creative practice has become precisely this kind of emotional and subconscious revival. I have always explored the history of Ukrainian culture, searching within it for a source and for answers. In the context of the challenges we are living through today, this tradition has become an emotional anchor for me — something that helps me maintain a sense of balance in the extraordinarily difficult time.”

An important part of GUCULIYA’s work is the revival of the ancient tradition of black-smoked ceramics. The technique involves firing clay at approximately 970°C in an oxygen-restricted environment, using firewood from specific types of trees. Under these conditions, the clay undergoes a transformation, developing a deep black colour with a distinctive metallic effect.

Each firing produces a unique result. The brand uses no dyes: colour and surface emerge entirely through the interaction of fire, smoke, clay and time.

In the twentieth century, under Soviet communist rule, this technique was almost lost. By the end of the 1980s, only three or four artisans remained in Havarechchyna, the principal centre of this ceramic tradition. For GUCULIYA, reviving and bringing wider recognition to this form of ceramics is therefore a conscious mission.

The brand introduces Ukrainian tradition to the world within a contemporary context, making it accessible, recognisable and alive. GUCULIYA’s design language is rooted in the reinterpretation of archetypes and protective symbols, translating them into a contemporary minimalist aesthetic.

Archetypes preserve and transmit fundamental values from one generation to the next. Ukrainian symbolism is permeated by luminous solar signs, a profound belief in goodness, the strength of family lineage and the continuity of life. Through its exploration of Ukrainian tradition, the brand uncovers a remarkable story of love — for nature, for people and their surroundings — as well as respect for ancestry, memory and the land. These meanings do not belong only to the past. They offer points of reference for the present and the future.

GUCULIYA is not about nostalgia. It is about memory that builds resilience. About archetypes that continue to live within contemporary everyday life. About design as a way of preserving who we are.

The People Behind GUCULIYA

Danuta Kril — Designer and Founder“This project grew within me like roots connecting me to the generations that came before.”Danuta Kril is a designer with more than 15 years of experience. Working across design projects, she believes that the true value of a space is created not by walls or furniture, but by the meanings and symbols we place within it. This belief led her to create GUCULIYA — a brand where contemporary design meets deep-rooted Ukrainian tradition.

Mykola Bida — Potter“Clay listens to the hands. And fire and smoke give it a soul.”Mykola Bida comes from several generations of artisans and continues a longstanding ceramic tradition. His pieces are the result of decades of working with clay and reflect his profound understanding of the power of craft. He preserves the authenticity of the black-smoked ceramic technique, maintains the kilns and oversees every stage of the firing process. As a result, each object is made by hand, has a character of its own and becomes a unique piece that cannot be replicated.

Микола Біда — майстер у кількох поколіннях, що продовжує давні традиції кераміки. Його вироби — це результат десятиліть роботи з глиною, і є відображенням його глибокого розуміння сили ремесла. Він зберігає автентику техніки чорного димлення, дбає про печі й контролює кожен етап випалу. Завдяки цьому кожен предмет створюється вручну, має власний характер і є унікальним об’єктом, який не можна відтворити.