In Support of Glass Art in Ukraine
Rago is honored to present Unbreakable Ukraine, a selection of contemporary glasswork from Ukrainian artists. This collection was organized by Jeff Hillam, who visited Lviv in September of 2022, and aims to bring awareness and support to the hot shop at the Glass Museum in Lviv shared by the Lviv National Academy of Arts.
All proceeds will support the hot shop and the artists in their efforts to thrive and create in spite of war.
"Though Lviv was safe at the time of our visit, the signs of wartime preparation were everywhere. Blockade equipment littered the roadways, ready to be used at a moment's notice. We encountered military checkpoints and public displays of national solidarity along the way. Old churches had metal sheets installed over their stained glass windows to ensure that bombings would not shatter their beauty. Statues were covered and shielded with canvas and rope, to protect the city's cultural heritage. But what stood out brightly in contrast to the darkness of these visuals, was the steadfast Ukrainian determination to maintain normalcy, optimism and hope."
Jeff Hillam
Learn more about the Glass Museum in Lviv and the Lviv National Academy of Arts.
Beata Korn and Viktor Melnychuk
Beata Korn was born in 1980 in Uzhgorod, Ukraine. In 2003 she graduated from the Lviv National Academy of Arts, Art Ceramic Department. Her works are included in the Taras Shevchenko National Museum of Ukraine (Kyiv), Taras Shevchenko Museum of Ukrainian Art (Beijing, China), Korsak Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art, and the Luciano Benetton and Simon de Pury collections as well as private collections in Ukraine.
Viktor Melnychuk was born in Lutsk, Ukraine in 1979. He graduated from the Lviv National Academy of Arts, Glass Art Department and founded the Korn Design Co. together with his wife, ceramic artist Beata Korn. His works are included in the Luciano Benetton and Simon de Pury collections and he works with the Korsak Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art.