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.
Medium Duzhyi Stool by Victoria Yakusha
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Duzhyi stool by Victoria Yakusha Dimensions: D 51.5 x W 37 x H 47.5 cm Dimensions: D 84 x W 30 x H 56.5 cm. Material: Hand-sculpted in the author's signature sustainable mater...
Clay, Wood
Duzhyi Stool by Faina
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Geneve, CH
Duzhyi stool by Faina Design: Victoriya Yakusha. Material: Hand-sculpted in the author's signature sustainable material Ztista - a blend of paper, clay, hay, and other live elemen...
Clay, Wood
Volyk Bench I by Victoria Yakusha
By Victoria Yakusha
Located in Geneve, CH
Volyk bench I by Victoria Yakusha Limited Edition of 12 Dimensions: D 84 x W 30 x H 56.5 cm Material: Hand-sculpted in the author's signature sustainable material Ztista - a blend of...
Clay, Wood
Ode Three-Legged Stool by Sizar Alexis
By Sizar Alexis
Located in Geneve, CH
Ode three-legged stool by Sizar Alexis Signed and numbered Edition of 12 Dimensions: Length 45 x width 45 x height 40 cm Materials: Burned pine wood The hexagon has more to it than we think, and some of the aspects of this shape are still mysterious. The series is an ode to the aesthetics that I fell in love with in a geometrical sculptural works of art and the interesting perfect form of the historical hexagon. It's fascinating how hexagons are part of our life but fail to realize this. It all comes down to the element that is present throughout our body, and that is carbon. The use of the form dates back to ancient Mesopotamia...
Pine
Large Bolota Capture Stool by A. Jacob Marks
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Bolota Capture Stool by A. Jacob Marks Dimensions: W 61 x D 32 x H 46 cm. Materials: high density black cork, blackened aluminum. BC2 BOLOTA is a limited series of seating an...
Aluminum
Oak Lahmu Y Stool by Sizar Alexis
By Sizar Alexis
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak Lahmu Y stool by Sizar Alexis Limited Edition of 10 Pieces Dimensions: D 70 x W 90 x H 50 cm Materials: Burned American Oak. Available in natural cherry, natural oak, or burned ...
Oak
CATHEDRA Seat, Contemporary Sculptural Stool, Made in Greece
By ALENTES
Located in Paris, IDF
The Cathedra Seat is a sculptural seating piece that embodies the studio's philosophy of timeless architecture distilled into functional form. Quietly monumental yet remarkably restr...
Cast Stone
Sculptural Stool / Side Table Solid Mango Wood Burnt Finish Modern Organic
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderfully sculptural stool or side table, with a mix of wood textures and shades. It features a waved design. A uniquely sculptural and versatile piece, this chair was crafted fr...
Wood, Fruitwood
Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Burnt Finish, Modern Organic
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderfully sculptural stool with a curved seat. The stool's neutral pigment and subtle wood texture makes it perfect for any space. A uniquely sculptural and versatile piece. This...
Wood, Fruitwood
Sculptural Stool Carved from Solid Mango Wood Modern Organic
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderfully sculptural stool, with a mix of wood textures and shades. It features a spiral design, with an exposed core. A uniquely sculptural and versatile piece, this chair was c...
Wood, Fruitwood
Krasnogorov Studio, "Evolution Grande", Stool
By Krasnogorov Studio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The name “evolution” suggests an elemental, primitive concept: a simple beginning for more complex ideas that evolve from it. The two legs of this piece are identical, held together ...
Upholstery, Sapele Wood
Sculptural Stool Solid Mango Wood, Hand-Hewn Detailing, Modern Organic
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
An elegantly rounded, sculptural stool crafted from mango wood. Unique to this stool is the hand-hewn detailing on all sides providing a wonderful contrast of textures. To achieve it...
Wood, Fruitwood
Daring shapes and soft curves define the impressive output of five women furniture designers around the globe — in Ireland, Ukraine, Israel, Denmark and France.
For the exhibition “Materia Perpetua,” the gallery asked an international group of makers — including Tagliaferri — to explore the possibilities of a surprisingly versatile material: onyx.
