The paintings of six young avant-guard artists of Kharkov are presented at the exhibition The Native Land as It Is Seen Today. The new exhibition has been opened today, on 19th of August, in the Slobozhanschina Art gallery of the Kharkov Regional Organizing and Methodic Centre of Culture and Art.
The paintings by Olga Babak, Yekaterina Goncharova, Larisa Liaschenko, Lenur Veliliayev, Oksana Solop and Olga Skorobogatova are presented at the exhibition. The young authors have stated those feelings in their paintings which are evoked by modern life and modern art. And each of those artists has unique feelings.
Modern life is uneasy, hence the colours are cold
«The colours are somehow gloomy in my landscapes. I understand that ordinary people like bright paintings more, and it is natural, they might like bright emotions lacking in our life, - the artist Larisa Liaschenko says. – I’ve always gravitated towards cold and dark palette of colours. This may characterise me as a gloomy person, but life is uneasy, unequivocal nowadays. This might also be due to rainy weather when I’ve painted in open-airs, when all images are not accurate, as if in fog. But here, for instance, Crimea makes me feel absolutely different emotions, the earth is pink there. And the landscapes of Slobozhanschina, especially those of Kharkov, evoke reserved emotions».
Larisa Liaschenko is a 5th year student of the Kharkov Academy of Design and Arts, the monumental painting department. However, she is already a member of the Artists’ Union, her works have been exposed across Ukraine, as well as in Spain and China. But this is for the first time that her paintings are exhibited in Kharkov. Larisa perceives positively that the exposition is devoted to Ukraine Independence Day.
«The artists became freer over 20 years of Independence, they can create without constraints. - Larisa Liaschenko says. – Avant-gardism was a strict taboo 20-30 years ago, only the painters of social realism canvases could feel easy, and such exhibition like now would be simply impossible. The artist’s path of creative search is freer today. Though there are problems, of course. We still lack art galleries, there’s almost no art market as in the developed countries, but I suppose, Ukraine is on a way to it, we just need time, and the situation will change».
The canvas can be hypnotized for hours before the inspiration will come
The artist Lenur Veliliayev sees our present basically in bright tones. All his paintings are built of colour stains composition, impressionists influence is obviously traced in his creativity.
“You know, I haven’t considered myself as a representative of avant-guard until now, and only now I … Yes, it could be avant-guard, - the young artist admits. – It happens that before the beginning of work I take some paint on my finger and I simply scatter stains on the canvas, and then I string the plot on these stains, - Lenur Veliliayev says. - I spend 3 to 7 hours for each painting, and I always create one painting for one session, not coming off, until I totally splash out the flow of emotions from within myself. When you paint from nature in open-airs you simply repeat the seen, just stylizing, and when I work in my workshop, images, impressions, stories come in my head. And the plot turns out spontaneously. Sometimes I know what will be drawn, and sometimes I can sit for some hours, “hypnotise” the canvas before I will catch inspiration”.
Lenur has graduated from Academy of Design and Arts this year, and he looks optimistically in the future.
“I’ll simply live and create, - the young man says. - My works are in demand for the last several years, I’ve had my personal exhibition in Maestro gallery in Kharkov, and I’ve participated in many national exhibitions. Certainly, there are more possibilities in the capital, I often visit Kiev, by the way, my paintings are in demand in Andrew’s Descent, and not only there. I have a lot of acquaintances and promotion, as well”.
Lenur’s parents live in Crimea where their childhood has passed and, therefore, depiction of Crimea prevails in his paintings. He doesn’t manage to paint Kharkov, despite he’s not going to leave our city.
“I like Kharkov very much, my friends are here. This city holds me. I did some sketches of Kharkov, but nothing serious turned out from that”, - the artist shrugs shoulders. Philosophical reflexions inspire him more. The theme of self search and the search of his own way in life tinges many of his works. The painting “Which Direction?” depicting the cross of roads in the middle of steppe, represents such search.
“Each person reflects whether the true direction is chosen. After all, modern life suggests a lot of temptations, they can withdraw aside, and the person can lose himself. This theme in my paintings is a message, for spectators in particular, they could reflect whether they choose the right path in their lives”, - the young philosopher says.
The young know better …
As a whole the exhibition has turned out to be a reflexion of rich stylistic, imagery and thematic palette of the Kharkov modern art. Works of different painters are executed in different artistic and graphic techniques. They reflect current trends of modern Ukrainian painting to some degree. And considering the young age of the exhibition participants, it could be stated that this is a kind of a forecast of tendencies in art.
It is not for nothing that the opening of this exhibition is devoted to the 20th anniversary of Independence of Ukraine and the Day of Kharkov city. The young artists’ view of our reality enables to make certain conclusions and to think how to live in the future.
The exhibition The Native Land as It Is Seen Today is open till August, 31st. We remind that the address of Slobozhanschina Art gallery is: Gosprom, 4th entrance, ground floor (entrance from Svoboda Square direction). Working hours in the gallery: Tuesday till Saturday - 11.00 till 19.00, no dinner hour.
Author: Natalia VASILYEVA