Calgary paints Pysanky Easter eggs for charity

Calgary’s cultural community and Ukrainian artists have come together to paint oversized Pysanky eggs to celebrate Easter and also collect money for charity at the Southcentre Mall in Calgary.

The initiative pays tribute to the Ukrainian Easter tradition of making or “writing” pysanky, carefully decorated Easter eggs featuring intricate designs in a variety of styles and colours.

Pysanky is a Ukrainian word that refers to the Ukrainian tradition of decorating super ornate Easter eggs using a wax resist dye method. (Photo: WUNDERfund)

Two local Ukrainian support organizations, WUNDERfund and the Ukrainians of Calgary Association (UOCA), are supporting this initiative.

Evelyn Ofsoske, the CEO of WUNDERfund, says making Pysanky eggs drive off the evil eye.

“They are Easter eggs, and they’re decorated in traditional Ukrainian motifs. They help break down evil, so the more pysanky you paint, the less evil there is in the world. And what we’re doing here today is a fundraiser in support of Ukraine,” Ofsoske said.

The 14 Pysanky eggs range in size from three to six feet tall and represent the 14 months since the war began in Ukraine.

The eggs have been placed at the Southcentre Mall, and at the end of April, the eggs will be auctioned off, with proceeds going toward the local Ukrainian support organizations.

Local Ukrainian artist, Tanya Sotnikow, puts the last touch on her Pysanky egg named “Ukrainian Patriot” inside Southcentre Mall in Calgary on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Henna Saeed, CityNews image)

The lead artist for the campaign, Daeyna Diduck, says these designs represent their emotions.

“This is a very traditional pattern that I’ve done many times on Pysanky eggs in the past. The colours are red and black and blue and yellow. The Ukrainian flag is blue and yellow,” she said.

“I chose the colours that symbolize our warriors fighting in Ukraine right now.”

And painting these Pysanky eggs is no easy task. Unlike the dye and beeswax used to make small pysanky eggs, these oversized ones are made of expanded polystyrene, coated in drywall compound, primed and then painted in many layers.

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Calgary’s seasoned visual artist and art instructor, Tatianna O’Donnell, also painted an egg with poppies and periwinkles.

“It took me about five days, and I painted about four or five, six hours a day. I would leave it for a bit and come back on the day,” O’Donnell said.

“What’s so special about it is that I painted it for Ukraine because I have a Ukrainian background. Both my parents are Ukrainian.”

Artist Tatianna O’Donnell stands next to her painted Pysanky Easter egg at the Southcentre Mall in Calgary on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Henna Saeed, CityNews image)

Diduck says every Easter, cities in Ukraine displayed oversized pysanky in their main squares to celebrate the holiday season and fundraise for community initiatives.

They just want to bring that vibe to Calgary and also raise funds for their community.

“My pysanky is a traditional design that I painted in mostly muted colours. Partially because our hearts are very muted right now, it’s very hard for a lot of the Ukrainians in Canada, as well as the Ukrainians coming here from Ukraine,” Diduck said.

Southcentre’s sister property in Edmonton, Kingsway Mall, will be hosting a parallel Pysanky for Peace fundraiser, and together the shopping centres hope to raise more than $10,000 for the cause.