Andrea Kulish, artist. Photo by Clay Nations Photography
By Lauren Stepp
Eggs are usually meant to be scrambled, fried, boiled or poached. That is not the case with pysanky.
In this Ukrainian folk tradition, eggs are decorated with wax and dye. The practice dates back thousands of years, evolving from pagan spring rituals into a tradition later shaped by Christian symbolism and carried forward through generations, often in private during times when Ukrainian cultural expression was suppressed.
Andrea Kulish, a first-generation Ukrainian American, was introduced to pysanky by her mother, an artist and teacher.
“My first memories of pysanky are sitting in my mom’s workshops in her shop in Hudson, NY, when I was about five, creating pysanky along with my mom’s students, and absolutely loving the whole process,” says Kulish.
As an adult, Kulish built a career as a graphic designer, including five years at VistaPrint in Boston, where she followed in her mother’s footsteps by offering art workshops of her own. Designed as part of a work-life-art initiative, the classes gave colleagues a break from their screens and a chance to get creative.
“Teaching pysanky to my co-workers in a formal class really showed me how much I loved teaching,” says Kulish. “I began teaching regularly after that.”
Today, Kulish leads pysanky workshops at Studio A in Asheville, guiding students through a process that is both methodical and meditative.
Participants begin by selecting eggs with strong, smooth shells, which are washed in a vinegar solution to prepare them for dye. Using a stylus called a kistka, they apply melted beeswax to mark the areas they want to remain white, then dip the egg into the lightest dye. The process repeats, moving from light to dark, with additional layers of wax preserving each color. At the end, the wax is melted away to reveal the finished design.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kulish’s workshops have taken on added urgency. She now uses her teaching and egg sales to support humanitarian aid, often collaborating with artists across the country.
“For years, Russian leadership has claimed that Ukraine has no culture of its own,” says Kulish. “When traditions are erased or dismissed, continuing them becomes an act of preservation.”
That belief is rooted in family history. Kulish’s father was deeply involved in advocacy and fundraising for Ukraine, including efforts following the Chernobyl disaster that helped send medical equipment to the country and bring children to the US for rehabilitation. Kulish sees her work as an extension of that legacy.
“I hope [my students] leave with a wonderful story and a warm feeling in their hearts,” she says. “And that they remember the ancient legend that the fate of the world rests on the creation of pysanky, and that we are helping save the world one egg at a time.”
Studio A is located at 344 Depot Street in the River Arts District. For workshop dates, see AshevilleStudioA.com, call or text 828.423.6459 or email andrea@ashevillestudioa.com.
