In the Ukrainian culture of different eras, the Motanka doll carried the power of a talisman. A woman who created a doll for her loved ones gave it her powerful energy, placing the best sincere wishes for well-being, good health, success in self-realization, mutual love and happiness. The doll was a guiding light for a person to walk his own life path.
There are many techniques and symbols in the creation of such dolls, but the most important points are winding with a thread (hence the name from the Ukrainian word "мотати", which means"winding") and the absence of human facial features. Our ancestors believed that any spirit - both good and bad - could enter the doll through the depicted face. This doll is sacred, it is a guide between the spiritual and earthly worlds, therefore it is faceless. Also, any faceexpresses a certain emotion or state, and Motanka is a spiritual"empty" space in which there is a place for absolutely all emotions, states and manifestations of the human soul. Instead, the dolls were left with an empty space or threads were wound crosswise, which meant the intersection and inseparability of the spiritual and physical worlds, heaven and earth, male and female. Yana often uses this symbol in her art to unify and return to the integrity of primordial existence.
Different Motankas were created for different occasions of life, and in the modern dolls of Yana Dereza, most of these symbols are combined into a single universal motanka "Berehynia"("Guardian"). Adding flaxseed symbolizes well-being, dried herbs -good health. Wrapping the chest and back of the doll hidden under the clothes with a red thread also serves as a talisman of health. In addition to traditional symbols, Yana also adds to the dolls individual symbols of a specific family or person, depending on their world view, values and those things in life that they love. It can be a certain unique embroidery, words or names encoded in a geometric ornament, clay medallions with the image of any pattern or ideogram, favorite flowers, colors, textures, etc. For this, Yana prefers personal communication with the customer in order to better feel the person through direct contact and, through her own prism of worldview, to give material form to what is born inside. Yana's Motankas are completely handmade, with elements of ancient techniques of creation, embroidery, painting, using the highest quality natural materials, antique fabrics, silver, gold, minerals, precious stones, etc. Each doll is exclusive and will not be repeated twice.
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