Tetyana Horner (Bondarchuk) is a traditional Ukrainian weaver from Nova Kakhovka (a city in the south of Ukraine). Following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was a traditional weaver, Horner practices a variety of Ukrainian weaving techniques, teaches workshops on the tradition, and participates in initiatives that support Ukraine.
Bio
Horner explains that weaving is an indispensable element of traditional Ukrainian culture that has sustained Ukrainian livelihoods for centuries. Woven objects were used both in everyday life (for making clothes and decorating the home) and in rituals (such as birth and wedding ceremonies). Traditionally, young women would need to make a certain amount of fabric before getting married to be able to make clothes, rushnyks (towels), and kylyms (carpets) for their families. Horner’s grandmother was such a traditional weaver, who knew how to grow flax and hemp, make thread, weave fabric, and make clothes – a skill that became a lifesaver for her family after World War II, when there was a shortage of clothing.
Growing up at a time when Ukraine was part of the USSR gave Horner very limited access to the cultural practices that were so important to the generations of Ukrainians before her. She was finally able to learn weaving after moving to the US, when she discovered classes at the Multnomah Art Center. Together with her instructor, Horner deciphered and learned traditional Ukrainian patterns from ethnographic materials on traditional Ukrainian weaving, reclaiming her heritage and reconnecting with her grandmother’s craft.
Today, Horner weaves traditional Ukrainian patterns, while also experimenting with contemporary styles, forms, and colors. She teaches workshops on Ukrainian weaving at Ukrainian festivals and other events, helping immigrants and refugees reconnect with their culture, and providing an opportunity for local people to discover Ukrainian traditions. Horner has exhibited pieces at Multnomah Art Center (2018) and Joint Art Show with Chinese and Ukrainian artists (2023). In 2023, she also led presentations on Ukrainian weaving at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History (University of Oregon, Eugene) and the American Folklore Society Conference (Portland). Horner is also an active member of Ukrainian Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports Ukrainian resistance by sending medical aid to Ukraine.
