Book cover design and illustrations for Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, a novel by Ukrainian writer M. Kotsiubynsky (Discursus publishing house). The novel is a cult classic love and death story which focuses on the old traditional way of life in the Carpathian mountains and incorporates elements of Ukrainian folklore.
Having received an opportunity to illustrate the book I was very excited, because this novel holds a special place in my heart. It had been illustrated by a few prominent artists before, which is why this project became an interesting challenge for me.
In order to give my design more authentic feeling, I did some research on traditional clothing typical for the Carpatian region, ornaments, folk art, which was very inspiring and helped me picture the story vividly.
The color palette and geometric details come from the traditional Ukrainian embroidery, rich in contrast and intricate patterns.
One of the scenes shows the dance of Chuhaister in the woods, a creature that balances on the verge of good and evil, popular in Ukrainian folk tales.
One scene pictures the ritual of playing trembita in honour of the deceased, an instrument common among Ukrainian highlanders. The sound of trembita is one my favoutites.
Another mythic character in the book is Scheznyk, a spirit that lives in the mountains and can be both evil and kind.
Another mythic character in the book is Scheznyk, a spirit that lives in the mountains and can be both evil and kind.
Photos of the freshly printed book taken by Anastasiia Kryzhanovska in the beautiful Carpathian mountains.
Photo: Ivan Daniv
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