Deep in the untouched, mossy forests and ancient swamps of Polesia, a mystical spirit named Grun’ comes alive – not through folklore, but through the imaginative designs of Victoria Yakusha. As the founder of Faina Design, the Ukrainian designer unveiled her latest collection at Design Miami 2024, seamlessly weaving her connection to nature, Ukrainian roots, and love for animistic design. The Grun’ collection features two hand-carved tables, two sculptural floor lamps, a bench, an upholstered bed, a chair, and an armchair – each piece a testament to Yakusha’s poetic vision, with special editions of the chair and armchair that are particularly captivating.
“To envision the future, we must draw upon the knowledge and wisdom of the past. There are still places on this planet that carry the memories of centuries – living, breathing spaces that appear timeless while continually evolving,” says Victoria Yakusha. “These sites embody the essence of the land and reflect a time when people were profoundly rooted in their surroundings, deeply connected to the world around them.”
The Grun’ collection embodies Yakusha’s signature design philosophy: “live minimalism.” This approach marries minimalist aesthetics with a profound connection to nature, reflecting her heritage and belief that every object possesses a soul – a central tenet of animism. Like seedlings emerging from the earth, the collection’s forms exhibit wide, grounding bases that seem to draw energy from below the ground, extending upwards in a symbolic nod to ancient wisdom, growth, and renewal.
Perhaps the headliners of the collection are the special edition Dewlit chair and armchair. While the original versions are just as striking with their whimsical forms and elongated, ear-like accents, the Dewlit versions elevate their allure with hand-embroidered beaded accents that glisten like dewdrops clinging to mossy forest floors. These intricate embellishments create a mesmerizing interplay of light and shadow, enhancing the tranquil, nature-inspired narrative.
The Grun’ bed and bench continue the collection’s expressive forms, with wide legs that channel the earth’s energy up and through their “antennae.” Like the chair and armchair, the dark green upholstery is reminiscent of lush moss covering the grounds of the forest, deepening the collection’s connection to nature and to the mystic creature that inspired it.
In a limited edition of 12 pieces, the Grun’ tables further channel the magic of the first. Their hand-carved wooden tabletops evoke the rays of sunlight streaming through a forest clearing, while their textured bases echo the rugged elegance of tree trunks. The Grun’ lamps, crafted from Ztista – an eco-friendly blend of clay, natural fibers, and organic biopolymers – take this organic aesthetic even further. Their conical forms and blown-glass bulbs, made using the traditional Ukrainian technique of gutnitstvo, resemble trees softly illuminated by their own glow.
Yakusha’s Grun’ collection is an invitation for us to reconnect with the earth and embrace the harmony of living with nature. By transforming the essence of Polesia’s ancient forests into functional art, she reminds us that even in a fast-changing technologically-advanced world, the roots of history and nature remain steadfast and evergreen.
To learn more about the Grun’ collection, visit victoriayakusha.com.
Photography by Lera Levanova.
