“Material Resistance: Ukrainian Design in Action” Exhibition: Ukraine House in Denmark at 3daysofdesign 2025

This year’s central exhibition, “Material Resistance: Ukrainian Design in Action,” was created in collaboration with the Library of Ukrainian Materials, the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Denmark. By partnering with the design fair Material Matters from London and the festival 3daysofdesign, Ukraine House created perfect conditions for the representation of Ukrainian brands. 

The exhibition explored how Ukrainian designers continue to work and create despite the ongoing war. It traced how matter itself becomes active: stone, clay, glass, hemp, metal, and wood are not passive materials but agents of resilience. Ukrainian design is not only surviving, but it is adapting, evolving, and developing. Every piece on display was not only an object with a form and function, it was a story of how human resilience and will to create overcomes all the darkness of living under constant threat. As curators Larysa Tsybina and Anait Danielyan described, Ukrainian design is “shaped by resilience, and every material becomes much more than just a resource—it carries cultural identity and ability to withstand external forces.”

Nataliia Popovych, the chairperson of Ukraine House in Denmark, describes the importance of hosting such events: 

“For the Ukraine House in Denmark, as the center of Ukrainian heritage and contemporary culture in the region, it is important to be a platform where important creative joint ventures and contacts are forged. During the 3DaysofDesign in Copenhagen it is always a pleasure to hear comments from the Ukrainian designers like “I have handed out over 400 business cards and ran out of promotion materials” or “I have met numerous potential partners interested in my work in Ukraine”—I am confident that these new connections will grow into new successful businesses and trade. It is our role to support Ukrainian design in becoming a strong contributor to the global design industry and strengthen the global competitiveness of the Ukrainian brands, and in the Nordic markets in particular.”

On June 19, Ukraine House hosted a breakfast with curators Larysa Tsybina and Anait Danielyan, Ukrainian designers, Kharkiv-born Copenhagen-based designer Aleksej Iskos, and H.E. Ambassador of Ukraine to Denmark, Andrii Yanevskyi. The gathering brought together more than 100 guests to share ideas, build networks, and celebrate Ukrainian creativity over coffee and traditional bites.

We thank all participating brands: ALMA MRAMOR, YourFoRest, DUB™, Furn Object, FOST, YALANZHI OBJECTS, Buro150, RE:QUIET, Ryntovt Design, Maven Group, Cassone Workshop, AMAZE Objects, Guculiya, Clayp, Cegla Studios, DevoHome, and SVITANOK for their efforts and dedication. We are grateful to everyone who joined us and look forward to next year’s festival to continue bringing Ukrainian design to Copenhagen and beyond.