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(Music by Distordeon)
Yevgeniya Kilupe, a Holocaust survivor and self-taught artist, started making masks to supplement her pension after a life of working in the factory. Around six years ago, artist Christine Jurjane discovered Yevgeniya and her otherworldly masks at a market and immediately recognized Yevgeniya’s talent. Christine introduced Yevgeniya to Linda Luse, the owner of Galerija Istaba, and they soon put on an exhibition of these fantastical papier mache “characters” to wide acclaim, eventually supporting Yevgeniya to open her very own Etsy shop.
Asnate Ribena is a video artist based in Riga, Latvia.
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Sign in to add your ownmyvintagecrush said 9 years ago
Wow. Just wow.. beautiful masks, amazing craftsmanship; this is what handmade's all about :)
EFaceDesigns said 9 years ago
Very cool masks and great story... : ^D
auntjanecan said 9 years ago
Cool! I love masks!
MegansMenagerie said 9 years ago
Such amazing work!!! Beautiful! =)
JulieWhitmorePottery said 9 years ago
moving, gorgeous, beautiful masks and maker.
mythunderstood said 9 years ago
Love your masks!
fantasygarden said 9 years ago
I love her masks and i have one
everythingok said 9 years ago
Such an inspiring story and beautiful work. This made my heart smile.
Krystyna81 said 9 years ago
Incredible...
BrooklynUnicorn said 9 years ago
Very inspiring!
maggiesraggedyinn said 9 years ago
Amazing story! Meeting these people from all walks of life is what makes Etsy so interesting.
jamiespinello said 9 years ago
Congrats on the feature!
pineconevintage said 9 years ago
I love these masks and the story behind them. Very inspiring.
FireflyPuppets said 9 years ago
Thanks for sharing this amazing story! One of the reasons I got into puppetry was because the power of masks moves me so much. Masks have life, and stories, and their own sense of self. These masks have a beautiful transformative magic. Thanks again for sharing!
LaurelCanyonBeads said 9 years ago
what a beautiful portrait, thank you for sharing this story. Very inspirational and moving!
Harem6 said 9 years ago
Beautiful, so much imagination and power ! We loved seeing Jevgenia !
jodyvanB said 9 years ago
What a lovely woman with an amazing life. I find it so fascinating, seeing how things are made, and interesting that she likes doing people's faces most, because they can show emotion. Thank you for sharing this. Sometimes, when purchasing handmade, you forget about the moments of hardwork and love that have been put into an item to give it a life of its own.
decembermoondesign said 9 years ago
An unforgettable story and woman. Thank you.
lovelygifts said 9 years ago
Great work!
tugboatprintshop said 9 years ago
wonderful! stunning masks & great video interview with the artist! thanks so much for sharing!
AdoroMe said 9 years ago
Gorgeous masks!!!!
MelissaBeeArtDenver said 9 years ago
These are great!
scarletbegonia11 said 9 years ago
cool!
adrianaallenllc said 9 years ago
I loved this short movie; I loved the story. It makes me reminiscent of years long left behind. Yevgeniya is so real to me. It is amazing how times change. She, as many of us, grew up and lived in a completely different world, some might say - a completely different universe, and look at us now. That applies to most of us out there, I think; not only those who knew what it was behind the iron curtain, but just about anyone who was alive when internet did not exist or world borders were still an important obstacle. It s truly awesome how our lives have hanged and keep on changing.
RivalryTime said 9 years ago
Very neat.
manicarteest said 9 years ago
I've been growing fond of masks this last month. Here's an excellent example being able to do what you love. Great masks great story.
thelittlemarket said 9 years ago
amazing craftsmanship!! Fabulous story!! thanks for sharing!!
accentonvintage said 9 years ago
Wonderful talent! Great masks!
AnnTig said 9 years ago
Great!
Betmens1990 said 9 years ago
Skaisti.
RossLab said 9 years ago
What an amazing story and talented woman! My best regards to Yevgeniya.
therainyside said 9 years ago
I enjoyed this story very much and am browsing her wonderful masks in her ETSY shop now...
Parachute425 said 9 years ago
Yevgeniya’s work is wonderful. A true artist.
bedouin said 9 years ago
Moving and beyond ~*~ fantastic gem etsy !!
couldbeeyours said 9 years ago
wow these are awesome! very creative :)
wmalexalvarez said 9 years ago
This was awesome. Thanks for the post!
TastefulThings said 9 years ago
wonderful masks! I love masks, when I wear those -they free up my inner secrets that i keep to myself and help me make dare moves! Happy Thanksgiving! Love your posts!
VoleedeMoineaux said 9 years ago
Lovely!
Jevgeniamasks said 9 years ago
Beautiful, Thank you!
HoneyThistle said 9 years ago
This story is heartwarming :)
feltstories said 9 years ago
amazing love it :)
erinswindow said 9 years ago
Thank you Asnate for finding Yevgeniya, her story and her touching work. The film is beautifully created and I watched it over and over. I love the masks and... I somehow wish Yevgeniya was my neighbour as I'd like to get to know her better and maybe if permitted, visit and watch her make these masks sometimes...(strange wish?!) As someone wrote earlier she is so "real" to me too. Wish her much success and happiness!
traceydumont said 9 years ago
Beautiful :))
leslieholz said 9 years ago
Takes me back to making papermache snowmen with my mom and siblings at Christmas time and filling them with candy to take to Granny's house to let all the cousins attack and then dive for all the candy. Fun stuff!
CloudCuckooLand said 9 years ago
Very nice, thank you for sharing
DelilahsAttic said 9 years ago
that is so cool! my sister makes masks too. These are beautiful works of art :)
xiangwuchen said 9 years ago
Amazing ! ! ! !
zakonek said 9 years ago
So creative and beautiful! Love the attention to details...
Handmade and Vintage Treasures from fabfashion said 8 years ago
Beautiful piece! thank you for sharing! She reminds me of Seraphine the French Naive artist. gorgeous.
wolden from wolden said 8 years ago
What a wonderful video! I bet she would like to see my husbands masks at GeezerArt.com on YouTube. He is 82 and makes really great masks that are very happy indeed. He would love to chat with her.
Maria Shacreaw from StarlightBags said 8 years ago
What a wonderful thing to share! These masks are incredible! This made my day.