Ivan Bilyk
Petro Hanzha starts his story about one of the giants of Opishnia pottery with the history of Opishnia, which was founded in the 12th century, with its beauty and...with its plates and dishes. Thanks to the local cloy, this country became famous, and Ivan Bilyk, the most famous of con-temporary masters, revealed his genius to the world. Opishnia's cloy is his life. Being a boy, he used to get some clay and, sitting on top of the hearth oven, make little figures of differ-ent animals. 1971 was his year of coming into his own, when he received his honorary di-ploma in Foenz. That year he became an Honored Folk Art Master of Ukraine. Since 1995 he is a laureate of the D. Shcherbakivskyi prize. Bilyk is on innovator and a technician, a master of synthesis of perfect forms and orna-ments, his hands creating light and lively com-positions. He also has a unique folk talent in putting together short mystical verses.