Pohadky

As if the Grimm fairy tales were given life beyond the limitations of their text, this book is an illustrated marvel. Translated as "Folk tales" or "storybook", Pohadky provides a tapestry of interwoven fables and morose, allegorical iconography, bringing a harsh light to the greed, loss and submission that marks the origins of so many cultural folk tales and legends. Heavily influenced by their respective cultural backgrounds - Colek fascinated with the artistic and narrative elements in the focklore of the Czech Republic, and Shewchuk immersed in the investigation of the symbols and pictography of pre-Christian Ukrainian decorative folk arts - the artists have created a work that balances delicate, richly detailed characters and a sharp but muted visual style and in the process have created a book that exists as so much more than mere fairy tales.