GUNIA Project is a brand of high-end home decor and accessories with a focus on crafts and significant decor. The brand seeks new forms of Ukrainian style by incorporating recognisable elements of traditional culture into modern design objects.
The GUNIA Project takes pride in showcasing Ukraine’s cultural heritage by fusing contemporary design with traditional handcraft techniques from all over the country. The outcome is a diverse range of products ranging from homewares to jewellery and wearable textiles. Their main contribution is to rebuild, modernize and unite Ukrainians all over the world through the soft power of art.
After spending more than a decade in the fashion industry, Ukrainian designer Natalya Kamenskaya and art director Maria Gavrilyuk started the brand together. The founders deeply value national heritage.
They research crafts to find their application in today’s world of technology and have already collected 12 forgotten technologies for creating ceramics, carpets, artisanal hot-brown glassware, and weaving bags. The two have currently suspended work to be with their families.
Their works use a whimsical approach to depict the current situation in Ukraine. The pieces are dedicated to internal stories of bravery—Molotov cocktails used by civilians against invaders, the Russian ship that became a symbol of resistance, and a girl clutching a weapon as a representation of women fighting evil in the country.
In light of the humanitarian crisis currently ongoing in Ukraine, please check here for ways that you can help as a foreigner.