I am Nastia Lopatiuk, an artist, eco-designer, upcycling craftswoman, and the author of the upcycling manufactory project Metåfora based in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Observing nature and noticing its constant process of transformations and the flow of energy from matter to the matter brought me to the realization that only by applying this principle of circularity in any creative practice is it possible to achieve balance. This inspired me to start an upcycling practice.
Upcycling is more than just an eco-design field or a fashion trend for me, but is a part of the worldview, the way to express myself, and communicate with this world, based on the principles of caring for nature and resources as the "default option".

An architect by education - graduating in 2012 from the Kyiv National Aviation University, I received the qualification of a specialist in "Architectural environment design". After this, there were 3 years of experience in urban planning work at Bilokon Ukrainian State Scientific-Research Institute of Urban Design "DIPROMISTO" in Kyiv. This time helped me receive practical knowledge and experience in urban planning, but internal requests for creative self-expression and a love for manual creativity changed my vector of movement. I decided to develop in the direction of artistic practices, acquaintance with various mediums and creative (re)searches and experiments - from interior fine art painting and traditional weaving to the sewing of my first artistic shaggy upcycle bag.

The search for space for artistic realization with like-minded creators led me to an independent scientific and artistic center in Kyiv - Ostriv Platform, founded by the architects from Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. In 2020 I became a permanent resident of the platform and had continued working there since. Here I take part in various Ostriv projects at the intersection of art, architectural, and spatial practices.

My debut as an upcycling artist happened when the co-founders of the Ostriv Platform joined me in the first cultural event in the innovation park Vymiriuvach in Zhytomyr (Ukraine) in the context of the revitalization process of the “Elektrovymiriuvach” industrial factory - the V:UNCASE sound residency. I felt a special charm in the aesthetics of the factory, where nature gradually took over some abandoned industrial spaces. Seeing for the first time the variety of shapes and colors of old authentic resistors, capacitors, diodes, and electronic boards, I immediately felt inspired and started to engage with them in my artistic interpretations and products. This gave a start to my first line of upcycled jewelry from non-liquid factory radio parts.

In 2021, I took part in the Experimental School of Object Design on “Vymiriuvach”, also carried out by colleagues from Ostriv Platform, where I crystallized the idea of the upcycling manufactory project.

In a community of talented people on Ostriv, as a creative incubator, my passion for upcycling matured into a complete conceptual project, and now I am taking the first steps in developing my own brand and embodying the upcycling manufactory Metåfora.

During the last year, I have been gradually implementing the project: I successfully conducted a crowdfunding campaign on Big Idea (a social platform for innovations) and enlisted the support of the community. Then I continued organizing spatial conditions for various stages of the artistic transformation of secondary materials, at the same time gathering knowledge on creating an eco-brand, developing a business model, thinking about the site, and occasionally participating in charity fairs.

The future plan is to develop the upcycling manufactory Metåfora to the level of a permanent creative ecological and social enterprise that would work on the principle of "zero waste". It will become both a creative, experimental laboratory and a cultural and educational center that will unite and expand a community of creative conscious people with common values ??of love for nature and caring for its resources.

Russia's war against my native land completely changed my life and plans, but thanks to our defenders, I managed to stay at home in Kyiv and am still able to continue implementing my project in relative safety. In contrast to all the horror and constant threats that the enemy brought to my homeland and compatriots, I feel a greater need to affirm life, express one's identity, and be useful with my skills.

Participation in the Maker Faire Rome would be a great support for my art in such hard times, and would allow me to contribute to the positive representation of Ukraine in the field of arts and crafts on the global scene. As Ukraine was historically on the periphery of the global cultural arena due to the years of repressions against everything Ukrainian under the USSR and Russian Empire, it is my duty now to share the authentic and live independent Ukrainian culture with the world and to learn from this experience myself.

• since February 24, 2022, Ukraine has been subjected to a full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, which started a war on our land back in 2014, occupying parts of the Luhansk, Donetsk regions, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.