Tell us more about your art, how did it all start for you?
For me, it all started with entering an Art School. Like everyone else, I began to learn drawing and painting. During the second year of my education, I took part in a competition among students and obtained an honorable second place. It became a reason to believe in myself. It gave me an inspiration and I started creating art-works that I showed in exhibitions. That’s how my exhibition activity began. In 2003, I was invited to have a solo show at the Kharkiv National Art Museum as a young artist. Since 1999 and up to these days I have been actively engaged in an art life.
What is your latest artwork?
I started working in a contemporary style recently. It is new and unusual for me, but it is so inspiring. The result is always unknown for me at the beginning of the work, but I love this process of creativity. It may seem that such art-works can be made effortless and fast, but it is not true. This apparent lightness, I would even say negligence, takes a lot of time and intellectual work. Everything is important here – composition, light and shadows, spots of color. And even more crucial is the idea and the means of revealing the emotions.
Where did you get your inspiration from?
IIt is impossible to say where the inspiration comes from. I would love to know that. But it’s like summer rain that appears out of nowhere. Everything that happens around me affects me, sometimes the inspiration comes when I’m already drawing something. Also it may arise in the communication with interesting people or other artists. I believe that inspiration is everywhere, you just need to see more than usual in your daily routine.
How has your art evolved from the beginning?
At first I was fascinated by drawing, I actually believe that every artist should master academic drawing. My first art-works were in the technique of drawing, graphic pencil on paper, pastel. Then I became more interested in different drawing techniques and I started painting compositional still lifes, thematic portraits. These works became basis for the first solo exhibition.
When I became a student of Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts, I studied history and created several art-works, the size of 200×400 cm, that were devoted to outstanding people and events in Ukrainian history. I showed these paintings in Biennial of Ukrainian Historical Painting “Since Tripillya Till Nowadays in the Images of Contemporary Artists ”.
Later, I started searching for my own style and at the same time created art-works that came from soul.
What has been your biggest obstacle so far?
I believe that I could achieve better results if I cooperated closely with an experienced manager or an art-dealer who could become my friend and promoter and guide me in the right direction.
What has been your biggest success so far?
If we talk about the international achievements, I consider a success taking part in exhibitions in Canada, Germany, the USA, China, Taiwan and cooperation with international Art Galleries.
In Ukraine, the biggest hit was my work devoted to the Ukrainian historical theme “Kobzar’s Tale” which was awarded with a silver medal of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine.
Another significant event is that I became an Honored Artist of Ukraine in 2019.
Tell us more about your future projects!
In future, I am planning to work on large canvases. I am inspired by person’s emotions, thoughts, experience in society. I am trying to express all this in my art. It can be any theme, but I always intend to create beautiful things full of meaning. Also, I have plans to show my art not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe and take part in several projects there.
