The Ukrainian brand GUNIA Project and the international publishing house Assouline are collaborating on a new book titled *Naїve My Love: Ukrainian Art of the 20th Century*. The publication focuses on Ukrainian naive art, exploring artistic movements that developed from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries and examining their impact on both the Ukrainian avant-garde of the 1910s and 1920s and contemporary design.
The book features creations by artists who lacked formal academic training and operated outside of professional artistic circles, developing their skills through hands-on practice, self-teaching, and mutual learning. While some of these pieces are preserved in domestic and international museums, others were discovered long after their creators passed away, or survived locally in Ukrainian villages painted on house walls, furniture, and various household objects.
Rather than treating naive art strictly as an isolated genre, the book frames it as a crucial influence on the evolution of the avant-garde and broader modern visual culture. It highlights works where creators bypassed academic conventions to prioritize the direct expression of personal emotion and individual vision.
The project is led by GUNIA Project founders Maria Gavrylyuk and Natalia Kamenska, who serve as ideological inspirers and creative directors. The curatorial selection and artwork curation were managed by editor Lydia Lykhach, while the book’s texts were authored by Ukrainian journalist Anna Lodygina.
