«It was my little dream». How an artist from Mykolaiv gave Tina Karol a painted carpet on stage

During Tina Karol's concert in Mykolaiv, a local artist presented the singer with a painted carpet. It depicts a girl and a quote: «Fall in love, dark-browed maidens, but not with Muscovites» (It’s a famous line from Taras Shevchenko’s poem «Kateryna», where he warns Ukrainian girls not to fall in love with Russian soldiers («Muscovites»), who often deceived and abandoned them).

In a commentary to NikVesti, Liza Myshenina said that the idea to paint the picture on the carpet came up when she and her boyfriend wanted to decorate the walls in their own cafe.

«I had a place in a modern Ukrainian style. My boyfriend and I wanted to decorate the walls in an unusual way. I am a painter, and at first I thought of just painting something on the wall, but it seemed too familiar. We wanted to combine Ukrainian and military themes because my boyfriend is a military man. I wanted to do something special and at the same time remind people of the war, but not through pain or tragic images,» the artist recalls.

According to Lisa, the idea to use an old Soviet carpet came to her boyfriend in a dream.

«We couldn't think of anything for a long time. And one day, when he was away, he called me in the evening and said: «I had a dream about a carpet. I see an old Soviet carpet hanging on that wall». That's how it all started. The idea was his, and I was already thinking about how to make it really «wow»,» says Liza Myshenina.

The girl says that the painting took about six months to complete. She chose a girl who reminded her of Tina Karol for the image. First, the artist painted a separate picture and then sewed it onto a large carpet.

«Once I saw a photo of a girl who looked very much like Tina Karol and decided to use her as a reference. I painted the picture separately and then sewed it onto the carpet by hand. The work lasted almost six months, because I was working as a barista in a coffee shop and had time only in the evening. I hung the carpet on the wall to make it comfortable and stood with an awl for three months, piercing and threading the thread»,»the artist said.

The main meaning of the painting is to combine history and modernity. Lisa wanted to show that Taras Shevchenko's words remain relevant today. The central image is of a girl who symbolises a Ukrainian woman passing through time. She embodies the past, present and future, reminding us of the immutability of Ukrainian identity and strength.

Later, the carpet for Lisa became associated with Tina Karol's song «Pain», which she released together with the Ukrainian rap group «North Division». It was created by members of the special forces unit «Kraken».

«We took the carpet home — my boyfriend really wanted to hang it up, but there was no room. Just then Tina Karol released the song «Pain». It really resonated with me. Especially the lines: «What is wrong with us when a brother betrays a brother». My picture came to mind right then. I realised that we had to give this carpet to Tina Karol»,» recalls Liza Myshenina.

The artist says that Tina Karol promised to find a special place for her work, perhaps in a museum or charity initiative.

«For me, Tina is a very important figure in Ukrainian culture. If she said that this carpet should be in a museum and serve a good cause, I believe in it one hundred per cent,» the artist said.

As a reminder, the Marko Lukych Kropyvnytskyi Central City Library invites Mykolaiv residents and guests to the Festival of Books and Reading «Veshtanka on the Bug», which will take place from 14 to 19 October.