Lyudmyla Nahorna — theatre artist, painter, master of scenography and theatre costume design

Lyudmyla Nahorna (born in 1958) — theatre artist, painter, master of scenography and theatre costume design. She also works in the field of spatial textiles and easel painting. Her works have repeatedly represented Ukraine at national and international art exhibitions. In the performing arts, Lyudmila Nahorna skilfully combines a deep understanding of national drama with a subtle artistic vision of the stage image.

She received her art education at the Taras Shevchenko Republican Art School (now the T. Shevchenko State Art School) and graduated from the Kyiv Art Institute (now the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture) in 1985. Her professional mentors were the outstanding Ukrainian artists Danylo Lider and Inna Bychenkova.

She began her professional career in theatre in 1985 as a set designer at the Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre for Children and Youth (Kyiv Opera), and from 1992 to 2020 she held the position of chief artist at this theatre. Over the years, she has created more than forty performances in the genres of musical drama, musicals, ballets and operas, demonstrating exceptional talent in working with costumes, space and the musical structure of performances.

Particular attention in her work is paid to costumes for best-selling plays, which can still be seen on stage at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre,  in particular, "The Kaidashev Family" (director Vitaliy Kolyada, set design by Andriy Aleksandrovich, 2008) and "Natalka Poltavka" (director Oleksandr Anurov, set design by Andriy Aleksandrovich, 2005). She also created the visual design for director Andriy Prykhodko's experimental productions "Tragicomedy of the Resurrection of the Dead" (2002) and "Cain" (2003), which were staged in the foyer of the Franko Theatre. At the Young Theatre, she created the costumes for Stanislav Moiseev's landmark productions Moskoviada (2006) and The Fourth Sister (2008).

An important stage in his career was his participation in the production of the opera "Zaporozhets za Dunayem" at the Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre a3>, which was staged in 2023 as part of Vasyl Vovkun's project "Ukrainian Breakthrough" (director Oksana Taranenko, set design by Tadey Rindzak).

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At the Lviv Quadrennial of Scenography 2025 Lyudmila Nagorna presented the installation "The Path of IDENTITY. CARPET CAMOUFLAGE".

The project consists of five female figures made of fabric with a "carpet camouflage" pattern:

• Kuntush –mid-18th century, corresponding to the cut of women's kuntushes of that period.

• Yupka – a characteristic type of women's outer garment from the late 19th century, which has seven pleats (wedges) on the back. 

• Yupka  insulated – it can be traced back to the early 20th century and has 11 whiskers (wedges) on the back.

• Short jacket – in the project corresponds to the late 20th – early 21st century, with 5 pleats (wedges) on the back. The cut is slightly modernised, taking into account the rhythm of life.

• Bulletproof vest –  with "carpet camouflage" inserts symbolises the times we live in, fighting wherever we are.

Ukrainian carpets have been transformed into camouflage – the fabric that forms the basis of the project. Folk carpets have taken on a protective function.

Identification occurs through fabric, which consists of a collage of traditional Ukrainian carpets, slightly altered in colour to transform the bright folk carpet into camouflage, into protection.