Join Guest Artist Jennifer Domal as she speaks about the ancient art of Pysanky. Pysanky are
decorated eggs created using the beeswax resist (batik) technique. The word comes from the verb
“pysaty” which means “to write”.
These talismans have a long, rich history among the peoples of Eastern and Central Europe,
particularly Ukrainians and Poles. The intricate designs on real eggshells were originally written
as requests to gods and goddesses for health, love, wealth, and fertility.
Today, artists continue this tradition, using the same techniques and motifs to create new works
on blown eggshells. Their designs honor the past while engaging in dialogue with contemporary
artistic practice.
About the Artist:
Through the art of batik on natural eggshells, Jennifer Domal explores the intricate dialogue
between cultural heritage and historical decorative arts. Her work reinterprets traditional motifs
by writing them with designs drawn from textile patterns, architectural elements, illuminated
manuscripts, and period furniture, creating visual narratives that span centuries of craft tradition.
The disciplined process of applying melted beeswax and dye to eggshells creates layered depths
of color and pattern. Each artwork emerges through successive applications of wax and dye,
building complex structures that tell stories of artistic evolution and interchange. The curved
surface of the egg transforms conventional decorative patterns into dynamic three-dimensional
compositions.
