Pysanka, Hampstead, and the New Hunt for Egg Art

As a kid, some of my most vivid memories were Easter time when I was given the opportunity to hijack the cartons of eggs in the refrigerator, and create dozens of pretty pastel or neon colored treasures. The worst part was waiting for them to boil and harden, yet when they were ready for my eager hands, I jumped at the opportunity to get my markers, dyes, and glue stick out, so I could use my imagination in creating some of the most original Easter eggs ever.

For some this tradition is unchanging. Kids continue to enjoy the artistic freedom of recreating meal-worthy eggs to original artwork, and many adults still hold on to this time as an opportunity to showcase the possibilities that can come with the spherical blank canvas.

Pysanka (you may have encountered some of these Ukrainian beauties recently) are Ukraine Easter eggs made with wax resist and dye. These eggs mirror some of the traditional Ukrainian folk designs and can bear any design imaginable. The ancient Ukrainian’s viewed eggs as sources of life, and as the time progressed the ideology remained intact, and many Ukrainian families practice the tradition of Pysanka each Easter. These marvels open up the endless possibilities with egg designs, and are open for those willing to learn.

Traditonal Ukrainian Pysanka Eggs

Within the Hampstead School of Art in London, England, the egg hunt is for a different purpose. Sarah John, operations director of the school, created her giant Easter egg in hopes of reviving the fun of the Hampstead neighborhood, and the fun that art can be. The Egg stands at 3ft, and seems to have brought some light into the districts troubles. For more info check out the Hampstead Egg.

Artist Sarah John: Nigel Sutton

The new hunt for egg art has quietly taken over and brought a dynamic take to the tradition of egg decoration. Given the beauty of the new movement within egg art, from the detailed colors and designs, to the overall grandiosity, I judge the the majority of egg recreation will stray from a mushed up marker, color dye, and a glue stick, to some of the endless options developed in kid’s imaginations.