Who are we, Zhytomyr citizens,and what do we know about ourselves? There are a lot of talks about the self-identification nowadays, about a portrait of a citizen of a town, creating which is a serious job. But investigation is not our specialty. We’d better tell you about bright and happy women citizens of Zhytomyr, who can set the trends. About a lifestyle, art and job a team of Zhytomyr.Travel had questionned the authors of a brand By Gabruk – sisters Daria and Natalia. Don’t they have perfect faces for a portrait of a town …
Natasha «At home we do not have a very creative atmosphere, we have got a big family, one more sister, who visits us with her two kids. Sometimes we study with them, trying to teach them art. By now, it doesn’t work, but in some time, I am sure it will. All in all, at home we have a calm atmosphere, there we relax from art…»
Dasha «From the first grade I was studying fine arts, and never visited any art school. But from the very childhood I was always painting something and always won the prizes. Some time ago there was an international contest in Koblevo, and so I won the second place. Then we went to «Artek». Don’t know, now kids are more controlled, but there I was just put into a trolley bus and was said to go. I was sure that I will get to the needed place. (Laughs) One of my works was called « And I am a Ukrainian girl…» Everyone got some cartoon characters and I had a Ukrainian girl. Moreover, I am a three times absolute winner in Easter eggs painting»
Natasha «During a work we can argue a lot. We are usually said: «Girls! Calm down!» But we can’t till we will convince each other… (Laughs) Maybe it is much calmer to work with someone else? But what the reason is: we can convince each other,and so a total product is that we both like. Though with efforts, through the quarrells, but the result is great»
Dasha «We do not just simply argue, that is during a work happens usually. I have read somewhere that something worthy always is created in a «tension», and when everything is calm… Or maybe we just have such a character.( Laughs) Moreover, it was always wanted to paint Zhytomyr in a different way, in a modern one. I paint in an expressive manner»
Natasha «As usual Dasha puts on a white robe, like a medico. And paints bright works in acid colours … (Laughs) Also we have a «calm», but when an order appears we are given all in one hundred percent. After that we both like squeezed lemons, no strength, no energy, and we can lay on a sofa for the whole day. It is necessary to have rest! And after relaxing there always appears an inspiration!»
Dasha «I can listen to some music, watch a film,a musical video. And than something comes, but mostly I am inspired by people. I think that there is no such a treasure like an interesting person: the way this person expresses himself, talks… There are lots of people, but an interesting person, who differs! You can talk with this person and catch some colour. You can observe the way this person sits, and find a motive, that is changing its form into an image»
Natasha «It is impossible to invent a bicycle, you can just show your view on a thing. You analyse, pass it through yourself- and then do. We do something, and then we are showed that someone is copying us. From one side, it is very pleasant: people watch, get inspired and then do something different… In fact, people can set the trends in Zhytomyr. You don’t have to be afraid, be yourself and come to life something new»
Dasha «When we sew things, I have a feeling. Maybe, it is natural: it is wanted to see this very colour. You choose it and later on someone says that it is a fashion tendency. I always stop myself at a thought, that you have to guide yourself with your own feelings, and always listen to that is inside you. And so once we did the stands for photos. Yes, it was something new, and we surely didn’t expect that they will cause a real stirr. Maybe, it was used long long ago, as we have found this in our granny’s photos: people used to take photos this way, putting their faces into a picture. But we had reformated it, added some details and it turned to be something new»
Natasha «We always had a support from our mum. She used to say: «Girls, where would you like, go and register». I also had a desire to be involved into some art, but after the ninth grade I got graduated from school. I didn’t have a very big choice, as I was recommended to start some medical specialty. I had studied in Zhytomyr Institute for Nurses (now: Zhytomyr Medical Institute) for seven years, had finished a master’s degree with an honor, a «red» diploma, and I was left to work. But then I have made a decision: I want to connect my life with art now, because at the moment that is I want to do»
Dasha «Our granny, daddy’s mom, used to say us, that her uncle used to draw money. And said: « You are like him!» Well yes, he forged money…(Laughs) Our elder sister liked to sew. We always asked her to sew some clothes for our dolls, because at that time it was impossible to buy that you wanted to. She did coats, hats. I was interested in that from my childhood. And when I grew up I started to sew for my dolls with my own hands, using my imagination. Even now my sister likes to draw, but she is not engaged in art»
Natasha «In the childhood mum used to encourage: «If you will bring only good marks, at the end of a week I will buy you a book of colouring pages». She used to but crayons, paints and I had so many books with colouring pages! I went a little to the art school, but then stopped. But the topics I got from the cartoons, I painted princesses»
Dasha «Natasha studied at a medical institute, was always a calm and modest girl. But I thought her to be an actress or a model. She has got such an appearance! Once I saw an advertisement of a beauty contest and told her: «Go there!» We did all the costumes for the contests by ourselves. The costumes were so expensive, and we had only our students scholarship. We used to sit at night and do some things. We painted shoes, embroidered swimsuits with the patriotic colours, made a wreath with the colourful stripes. And then I have caught an idea that we can paint clothes. In fact, you wear a hand-made picture on yourself. Now there are more such things, but at that time there was any. I said to all of acquaintances who would like to have such things, to bring the clothes. We had painted, Natasha was as a model, and our friend helped to take photos…We didn’t want it to be a «mass», we wanted it to be our own thing, that was thought by ouselves, and so was painted, and was sewed on a particular person. And then I got to know that my groupmate sews. I have made several orders for her and then she said: «Come up and will be here together». And so we started, and we have our own things- a brand By Gabruk. We sewed for Dan Balan’s musicians, acquaintances to Italy, to the USA»
Dasha «In March we went to Saudi Arabia, to the city Er-Riad. There was held a festival « Camel Fest». We have got into a team, which was created by Natalia Gladyj. We went to present Zhytomyr at the festival of the nomads. There happened so many things! A team from Ukraine had twelve people,and each person did his own job. We represented three noninations «Ethno House», «Fashion Show», «Costumes». I even went into the catwalk. We impressed a lot there: when we got off the stage, the viewers watched at us the way praying on us»
Natasha «I have seen a lot abroad, but I never had an idea what can I do there. And here I know for sure, that I will get up in the morning and will go to work and will do there everything I would like to. Here I have plans, and here I know everything! Zhytomyr for me is a blank page where you create, paint, it is native and my own»
Dasha «Even from Saudi Arabia I want to come back to Zhytomyr. I wouldn’t stand living there. There women live in another way- they watch the world from a tiny hole (in Saudi Arabia the majority of women wear a tarha – a black shawl worn on a head that gives only a small hole for eyes)»
Natasha «Some time ago we used to give master-classes for different kids. From the disadvantaged families too. Kids from the common families are indulging, you have always to give them an idea, that something can be interesting for them. Very often they don’t want anything, excepting «sitting in a telephone». And people who haven’t seen anything, are interested in everything, and are appreciated for that. And that impresses a lot»
Dasha «Charity can not be forced,it can’t be like that : « Give, because you have to». And if see that someone needs something, even if it is trivia, and you have something to give-so give it. And it must be present in everyone! If I ,for example,have a knowledge I want to share it. Well I can paint Easter eggs-so I will give a master-class and teach kids how to do that»
Natasha «Our town is not very big, and our people aren’t accustomed to seeing something new. When you start expressing yourself in a different way, and you are watched, and there is no confidence in whether someone will like and copy it. But now the youngsters dress up really cool, they have a sense of taste, style…So it seems that new is coming to us slowly»
Dasha «We absolutely calmly treat the competition. Noone will take that is inside you. So how is that without competition? When there is no competition, there is no development. You can look at someone and think: «I have to move on!» We communicate with our Zhytomyr designers-everyone has their own things. We have one product, they have another»
Natasha «Competition is good. You have to be glad, to develop and to look at a little bit… And so what that there are lots of designers? It is great that people live the way they were born,and do what they can… We thought of the name of a brand. Dasha even went to order the business cards. On her way she met a friend and she said: « You don’t have to think of that! You have got a cool surname! So call it this way- «Gabruk»! Dasha phoned me and asked: « What do you think?» I agreed: «Let it be!» And we say like this: «Put on that dress «By Gabruk»
Dasha «Frankly speaking, today can be good, and tomorrow-not really. So how can you stay afloat when noone supports you? The young people are encouraged not to leave the country. I was invited almost 300 times, and I could go! And we are here, at home, creating though we have money for that. We have a cool topic: we want to create clothes with prints, to pick a pattern to the clothing item. And how shall we do that? To give master-classes, draw pictures? Everything is invested into the materials. Shall we wait till it will come back? That’s why a lot of the talented people leave the country. They are fighting but then just give up… We are working by now. We are dreaming about a showroom for our works to be scale represented»
Natasha «For me Zhytomyr is native, you feel here in that way that it seems you can ride a bike with your eyes closed. But I want to see here more merry and happy faces, that people wanted to leave just to see something new for their lives, for the development, but wanted to live here. And to start something new here»
