As with many Ukrainians, I see borschch as one of the true staples of Ukrainian cuisine. After russia’s full-scale invasion of my country, I was forced to move abroad, and it was then that I fully understood the meaning of comfort food. Whenever I feel homesick, want to mark a special occasion, or reunite with old friends, I cook borschch.
For me, it is more than a traditional dish - it is an emotional connection to family, home, and shared identity. That feeling became the starting point for this project. I wanted to celebrate borschch through a culinary poster that would feel modern, vibrant, and inviting, while still honoring its cultural significance and evoking the desire to taste it.
I also wanted to push the concept beyond a single poster. By extending the illustrated elements into surface pattern design, I explored how the same visual language could live across textiles and ceramic tableware. This allowed the project to grow into a broader collection of applications inspired by Ukrainian food culture.
