Muse has Guided

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The artistic studio attached to the Central House of Artist in Kyiv is 15 years old

To put child and, maybe, mature dreams into life, to develop artistic taste, to overcome some life troubles in the so called imagination, to express or even to assert oneself, to write for a soul – here are the aims which during the last 15 years has brought over three thousand personalities to the artistic studio.

– They are united by the moment of uncertainty, mystery, hope, expectations and holiness in the attitude toward teacher and toward the art, – the permanent director of the studio, famous designer, Honored Artist of Ukraine Mykola GROKH says. – Unfortunately, recently our state has lost many former assets, lost artistic studios for adults. And I can’t stop being surprised by the fact that people without regard to any confusions long to reach for the art, for something wonderful, for creative work itself. This is one of the features of our Ukrainian mentality. Participants of the studio, people of different professions, take a conscious step forward in the aspiration to open something new and secret for them. And this step is not someone else’s, it’s their own. As old as the sea mechanism operates here: a man opens something that had been already opened by others. And he delights in it like a hungry person who divided a potato into little pieces and licks his lips, instead of swallowing it in a hurry.

When I looked for teachers for the studio, I consulted with the teachers from the Academy of Fine Art and Architecture. I went to the department of picture, and now academician, vice-president of the Academy of Arts, Professor Mykola Storozhenko advised me to take Viktor Levchenko. He said that he is a prominent technologist. I thought: Not bad?! He painted the Church of the Erection of the Holy Cross, lower temple in Podil in Kyiv. Viktor is a restorer by profession. He has a deep knowledge in classic pictorial art and during all these 15 years he has been generously sharing his knowledge and assets with the participants of the studio. He appeared to be a wonderful teacher. The classic pictorial art is far more difficult and wiser than modern. And Viktor Levchenko works to classic technology of picture and to artistic work as a whole. He is a good methodist and he manages to work creatively with the groups of adult participants of the studio.

Svyatoslav Brakhnov, the youngest in the teaching group, was working in the studio while studying on the fourth course of the academy. After several creative journeys to China he learned the language of this country so that he was invited to the Heavenly Empire to teach painting at the artistic establishments of higher education. And after this experience Svyatoslav got back to the studio. He is the graduating student of the graduate school of our academy.

Andriy Kovalenko, our teacher and wonderful artist, who has a profound profession in the icon-painting, graduated from the graduate school as well. Even if he paints nonclassic icon, preparation of board, style, technique, gilt, light painting – all this is natural for unique works.

Recent exhibition in the gallery “Khlibnya” of the National Park “Sophiya Kyivska” is a bright confirmation of importance of the artistic school and its high level. Mykola Grokh was glad to hear doubts concerning whether most works at the exhibition belonged to amateurs. Altogether there were presented 224 works painted by young and adult participants of the studio and also teachers.

Water-colour works “Summer”, “Spring” and “Winter” by Mykola Grokh fascinate, they are wanted to be enjoyed not only in the museum hall but also at home - that is how they are harmoniously composed; at the moment you think about the woman portraits by Viktor Levchenko, they spring to your mind conciliated and secret; you simply envy kindly to his sun Oleg in a skull-cap who drinks coffee on the balcony of the apartment of maestro; the icon-painting boards by Andriy Kovalenko capture your sinful thoughts by surprise and you stand before holly icon performing penance. And patterns by Natali Gerasemenko are light like music! Rhythmic of color and form, virtuosity of the master – all these testify high artistic style of the graduating student of the ASIC.

Well-known artist, honored worker of arts of Ukraine, corresponding member of the AAU, professor of the National Academy of Fine Art and Architecture Vira I. Barynova-Kuleba, who also, I assure you, does not like semi-finished product, accepted my suggestion to visit the exhibition devoted to the 15-th anniversary of the studio with interest.

Olena Teryoshyna has been engaged in the work of the studio for five years. She has been the world champion of boat racing for seven times, she was a runner-up of Moscow Olympiad. Her last name is mentioned in the German and British Guinness Books of World Records, she is said to be the most award-winning sportswoman engaged in boat racing. Presently Olena heads the department of psychology of one of Kyiv institutes. She says the following about her work presented at the exhibition:

– In the landscape painting with a church among mountains I tended to put the following idea into life: mountains were to be heavy and dark as if dark forces oppress people, and the latter stand against them. But it is not presented in the picture. Churches have an optimistic color. Because in the process of work everything went in a little bit different way, although it is a real landscape and a real sketch. Together with Viktor L. we have chosen exactly this drawing. However, everything is very simple: I haven’t succeeded fully in putting the idea into life, because I still lack skills. But I paint with pleasure, I love life and everything what I do I do with pleasure.

Svitlana PYSARENKO