Kyiv's Gallery Wunjo-Art Reveals the Secrets of Wool Artistry

Kyiv, March 5, 2012. As winter refuses to release its grip, the local art gallery Wunjo-Art opened its door for a quite warming exhibition entitled Golden Fleece. With original pieces by artist Natalia Metronina, the exhibition showcased unique art pieces made with nothing but pure wool.

At first glance one might confuse Natalia’s work with the more traditional aquarelle-type paintings but after taking a closer look, the true secret is revealed. Natalia always has had a passion for a variety of paintings but creating her first wool work began only two years ago. “I was visiting my relatives in Russia and that’s where I’ve seen art made of wool. It was the first time in my life when I realized how fantastic things could be when made of wool,” said Natalia Metronina.

Besides looking great, wool art has both clear and intangible benefits for human health. Wearing wool-made necklaces not only provides the wearer with a unique look, but also contributes to his or her good health. “One might not think about this, but wool gives us more than just warmth and coziness - when it rubs against skin it stimulates our immune system” explains Natalia.

Creating art with wool also carries a lot of challenges. Extreme patience and dedication to hours and hours of work are a must for those who decide to get into the wool art themselves. Making masterpieces with wool is a truly unique experience because there is no room for repetition. Contrary to painting, where an artist can replicate his works, wool is worked into a canvas differently every time. “Sometimes people get excited about some of my works, and they want to make a replica of it themselves. I’ve got to tell you, no matter how hard I try, every time I end up with something different-looking compared to the original piece I did before. That’s just the way wool works,” said Metronina.

The Wunjo-Art gallery curator Tadeush Zhakhovsky considers wool art fascinating and unique. “Wool is something that everyone knows but the possibilities of utilizing wool for artistic purposes are astonishing. There is no way I can describe it with my own words, the best way is to come and see the exhibition with your own eyes,” said Tadeush Zhakhovsky.

Wool art also has its plethora of little tricks and secrets that every artist discovers after spending a solid amount of time working with the medium. “I don’t know whether I should tell you this, but in order to keep the wool stuck to my canvas I use something that every woman uses daily for her hair. I spray a high quality hairspray on the wool and canvas. That’s what does the magic,” Natalya Metronina states, giving up her secret.