LINIIA ART

LINIIA ART is a new project that brings together two partners: the founder of Rodovid Press, Lidia Lykhach, and journalist Valentyna Klymenko. Linia ART takes classics in Ukrainian art and makes them into gifts so we’re never too far from our renowned masters!

Lidia Lykhach: The thing we’ve been dreaming about for years in the Rodovid “kitchen” has finally happened: we’ve created our first line of art souvenirs. The way the stars aligned in summer 2015, we decided our first pieces would be dedicated to the work of the well-known, singular Kateryna Bilokur.

It was only possible to cross this Rubicon—from dream to reality—because of my creative and persistent partner, Valentyna Klymenko. It was she who realized that there was no time to start Linia ART quite like the present. We brought together the designers, publishers, lawyers, and manufacturers, and were finally able to bring some beautiful curios and original gifts into our imperfect, quotidian world.

Valentyna Klymenko: Liniia ART is the realization of a zealous museum-gift shopaholic’s dream to have Ukrainian art souvenirs. The fact is, we know little about Ukrainian art in general, much less the specific works of individual artists, but can easily identify a Van Gogh or Warchol on a magnet or tote bag. Why? Something’s not right here.

Our start-up grew from a shared enthusiasm for Ukrainian art and a desire to quench our thirst for it every day. We’d been dreaming about working with museums and artists to open an elegant museum shop—or two!—for a few years. Our dream is for beautiful objects and works of Ukrainian art to have a place in every home—these aren’t so much souvenirs as things to be used and make everyday life a little bit nicer. I believe that when Ukrainian masterpieces encounter the talents of the best Ukrainian designers they truly can make our lives brighter and more pleasant.