After experiencing the 2014 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, furniture designer and architect Victoria Yakusha sought in her work to preserve, revive and celebrate Ukrainian culture. A deep connection with nature and a sustainable construction approach connects her designs to the Earth and centuries-old traditions. By drawing on techniques and materials native to her home country, Yakusha creates award-winning collections of furniture, lighting and décor with an organic modern design style.
Growing up, Yakusha fostered an affinity for Ukrainian primitivist and folk artists including self-taught painter Maria Prymachenko. She later studied architecture at Prydniprovska State Academy in Ukraine and the National Institutes of Science and Technology in France. In 2006, she opened YAKUSHA, a multidisciplinary studio, and in 2014, she launched her furniture brand, Faina.
Faina uses materials from Ukraine and employs local specialists to craft furnishings, often entirely by hand. The brand developed its own living material, ztista, a moldable dough composed of recycled metal, cellulose, wood chips and clay. Faina also uses a historic craft technique known as valkuvannia, which involves coating a solid surface with a mixture of straw, hay and natural clay. It enables sculptors to form highly textured pieces including chairs, benches and lamps.
Yakusha’s work has been presented around the world, including at the 2018 and 2020 Paris Design Week, 2017 Stockholm Furniture Fair, 2018 and 2020 Milan Design Week and 2015 and 2018 Bologna Design Week. She won recognition from the ELLE DECO International Design Awards in 2019, Art Space Interior Awards in 2020 and the 2020 Arte Laguna Prize for Art Design. In 2021, Yakusha’s Istetyka interior in Kyiv became the first Ukrainian project to win in the Dezeen Awards for the Bars & Restaurants category.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of designs by Victoria Yakusha including seating, tables, decorative objects and more.
$3,550
ZTISTA chair
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Miami, FL
ZTISTA / Ukrainian for made of dough / ZTISTA chair — hand-sculpted of FAINA’s eponymous material — ZTISTA a sustainable blend of clay, hay and other recycled materials, designed to...
Steel
$29,000 / item
PLYN sofa small
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Miami, FL
The PLYN collection (meaning "fluidity" in Ukrainian) eloquently embodies the essence of water and the adaptability of life itself. Inspired by the ever-changing forms of nature, PLY...
Textile, Ash
$7,540
GRUN' small floor lamp
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Miami, FL
The Grun’ lamp is handcrafted, combining the signature eco-conscious ZTISTA blend with blown glass. This glass is created using the traditional Ukrainian glassblowing technique known...
Other
$8,940
GRUN' Dewlit armchair
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Miami, FL
MATERIAL: textile, foam rubber, sintepon, wood. Please kindly note that handcrafted items may slightly differ in shades and textures. Only for indoor use. The chair has a soft s...
Textile, Wood
$7,090 / item
Grun' armchair
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Miami, FL
MATERIAL: textile, foam rubber, sintepon, wood. Colors palette: more than 40 colors in 3 categories are available. Please kindly note that handcrafted items may slightly differ in s...
Textile, Wood
$3,960 / item
Grun' chair
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Miami, FL
MATERIAL: textile, foam rubber, sintepon, wood. Colors palette: more than 40 colors in 3 categories are available. Please kindly note that handcrafted items may slightly differ in s...
Textile, Wood
Contemporary Medium Floor Lamp - Soniah by Victoriya Yakusha for Faina
By Victoria Yakusha, FAINA
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary Big Floor Lamp - Soniah by Victoriya Yakusha for Faina Design: Victoriya Yakusha Material: upcycled steel, flax rubber, wood chips, cellulose, and clay all with biopolymer cover Dimensions: H 135 x W 60 x L 33 cm Cable length: 5m On/off cord foot switch Glass lamp plafond 1 x E26/27 LED Bulb max 60W, non dimmable Available in 6 colours. Please refer to the color card in the image section. All Faina lamps...
Steel
Contemporary Sculpted Black Ceramic Vase, Kumanec Long Neck Vase by Faina
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary Sculpted black ceramic vase - Kumanec long neck vase by Faina Design: Victoriya Yakusha Material: material: clay / ceramics Dimensions: 7.3 x 10 x 38 cm. (“kumanec” in Ukrainian — (ceramic figured vessel) Traditional festive pottery with a hole-bagel in the middle, transformed into modern interior decoration, that has the power to unite people around. In search of new-old design messages, Victoria Yakusha conducted a study of the daily traditions of our ancestors. The times of Trypillia and the Scythian civilization, Slavs household habits, designer studied the forms, materials and craft techniques of those times and brought modern perusal to the traditional things. Awards Industart 2015 Award for PECHYVO cabinet Archiproducts Awards — SHCHEDRYY table nominated AZ Awards Canada nominated SOLOD cabinet The Interior of the Year Award for ZTISTA chair Exhibitions Solo 2017 Stockholm Furniture Fair: The collection had an individual Stand 2018 Milan Design Week: presented novelties at Superdesign Show 2018 London Design Fair: has presented full collection. Group 2015 Bologna Design Week: first exhibition for the new Collection. 2017 Dutch Design Week: SOLOD ?abinet, HRYB coffee-table — participants of the exhibition. 2018 Paris Design Week: Bandura vase...
Ceramic