Lviv Design Day 2025. Why is Ukrainian design a spark that becomes a bonfire?

Lviv, September 20-21. The city once again became the heart of design and architecture, hosting Lviv Design Day. This year’s event confirmed an important truth: Ukrainian design is no longer looking for foreign labels. It is self-sufficient. 

 

The key moment of the first day of the conference was the presentation by Tetyana Ivanochko, CEO of Makhno Studio. She spoke about “conceptuality” as the main principle of contemporary Ukrainian design: each object has not only a form, but also a history or metaphor that fills it. When design carries Ukrainian meanings, it becomes understandable and exciting to the world. Such projects are increasingly gaining international recognition, proving that our identity is our strength.

Design as an export of identity

Tetiana Ivanochko compared Ukrainian design to a spark: it is easy to extinguish, but if you give it power, it turns into a bonfire. This flame should warm, illuminate the way, and be visible on the world map. The Great War became the catalyst that accelerated this process. When our homes and cities began to be taken away from us, we realized that if we did not preserve what was ours, we could lose it forever. Trauma, oddly enough, became a catalyst for creativity. We began to search for new meaning in clay, wood, and our traditions, and this search gave us a clear answer: Ukrainian design exists.

 

Today, “modern Ukrainian style” is our people’s new language to the world. It speaks about what matters to everyone: home, nature, roots, and the future. The world discovered Ukraine through pain and resistance, but the next step is to discover us through our culture and lifestyle. Design is becoming the key to this, transforming into a carrier of national identity.

Tetyana noted: “Just as the French export their charm through fashion and the Japanese through minimalism, we have a chance to make design Ukraine’s cultural brand. Every item created here becomes part of a global dialogue where Ukraine is seen not as a ‘country at war’ but as a source of new meanings and aesthetics.”

In conclusion, Tetiana announced an upcoming project—the multidisciplinary space Makhno Heritage, which will become a platform for synergy and promotion of Ukrainian art, design, and culture. This is another step on the path to turning a spark into a real bonfire.