The 3rd International Decor and Giftware Exposition was held in one of KyivExpoPlaza’s exhibition halls. There was nothing superfluous here, just little trinkets that are absolutely unnecessary to a household, but which are absolutely indispensable to satisfaction. Most importantly, the items on display were new and fresh, not the kind of stuff that you see in practically all the Kyiv stores or in the capital’s main decorating flea market on Andriyivsky Uzviz. No matter what stand you visit here, you will find something worthy of a 30-minute browse and the suggested price. I spot a large Indian panel, full of many-armed and many-faced sad and enigmatic deities, some with elephant trunks. This picture comes from India and costs only 95 hryvnias. The woman in charge of the stand told The Day that taking part in such exhibits is quite profitable; several items on display were already purchased. But the needlework pictures displayed nearby aren’t selling; each one is priced at around 1,000 hryvnias. These pictures illustrate the most popular themes, like lions hunting for prey or nude girls with long hair.
There were also enigmatic items like a “kinetic sculpture” about one meter high. This is a refined frame from which is suspended a “humanoid” figure made of wood. It’s hard to describe, but it’s eye-catching. The next stand features multicolored papers that rustle and can be used to make envelopes, postcards, packages, invitations — the sky’s the limit. Some “products” are also displayed at the stand: photo albums in the most pleasant shades of pink, blue, light green, cream, and white.
There was also Ukrainian decor on display: embroidered runners, shirts and blouses, beadwork, portraits of Taras Shevchenko, clay and ceramic Cossacks, wooden maces, and Easter eggs portraying celebrated Ukrainian hetmans and princes. Needless to say, we have grown tired of this stuff over the years of independence, but foreigners are happy to bring these souvenirs back home. All told, the exhibit looked like a huge birthday party, as though several hundred guests had arrived at someone’s house, bringing beautiful but very different gifts. At the opening a Guinness record was established with the creation of the largest origami in the world, called “Butterfly.” The huge butterfly, registered at the moment it was unveiled by Guinness book officials, symbolizes the flight of fantasy and a key creative component of household decor. The origami creation also reinforced the existence of this very popular Japanese art. After the birth of the record-setting butterfly, everyone could test their skills and patience by crafting various paper figures, without the aid of scissors and glue. There was also a special master class on ancient pottery techniques and modern elite ceramics. The Ukrflora Company offered a master class on setting Christmas and New Year’s tables, and Azure Art Boutique demonstrated the art of glass painting, using special paints.
