Ukrainian contemporary art is showcased in exhilarating London exhibition
By James Brewer
A marvellous opportunity has been unveiled to appreciate contemporary works of Ukrainian artists based in London.
Ukrainian Art House in London, an enterprising association dedicated to supporting artists, craftspeople, designers, and creative individuals in Ukraine and elsewhere, is dedicated to amplifying global recognition of the country’s art and culture.
The six accomplished Ukrainian artists cutting a dash in the exhibition Serendipity at HJ Art Gallery & Antiques on West London’s fashionable Kensington Church Street, are Iryna Dobrovetska, Oksana Fursa, Viktoriia Kartashova, Igor Kudelin, Ivanna Urban, and Karina Kucherenko. They are a diffuse community united in their devotion to experimentation and brilliant technique.
While they are inventive adherents of the avant-garde, they are full of respect for the rich cultural heritage of their native land. They are masters of their various mediums, and the whole presentation in its light-filled setting bubbles with warmth and emotion. Despite the title Serendipity, there is no feeling of the arbitrary.
The cultural depth was stressed by the representatives of the Ukrainian Art House in London, patron Tetiana Bairaka, organiser and curator Olga Soroka, and director Nataliia Horbenko, at the private view on July 18. Within and beyond this ambit, the show’s protagonists give vivid and forceful shape to their individual, buoyant approaches to their artistry and to life.
Do not be misled by the playful title and floral gaiety of the oil Sunny Bunny by Iryna Dobrovetska, for it is full of meaning. The picture is part of her Pareidolia series “created as a result of my experience as a refugee and a witness to the war in Ukraine.” She says on her website: “This artwork is about my dream of a peaceful future, which, like a ray of sunshine, brings back the colours and gives hope.”
Iryna, who achieves striking results with oil on canvas, graphics, watercolour and as an illustrator for children’s books, says that she leans towards the “mystic realism” niche, often using allegory “to tell a hidden story.”
Underlining the import of her imagery in the Pareidolia series is Sphericity, which arose from her exploration of intricate concepts of string theory, of the theory of gravity, and of the “many worlds” theory of American quantum physicist Hugh Everett. In this painting, as well as surely being one of the most beautiful references to philosophical reflection in the dry-sounding realm of quantum mechanics, subtle ethereal rays represent the propagation of particles suggesting the existence of parallel universes. She here delves into the phenomenon of pareidolia (in which a person sees a pattern or image of something that does not exist). The bubbles symbolise both the influence of gravity and the complex interplay between reality and the tricks our minds can play. At lower right, a small, enigmatic spaceman emerges, reminiscent of Major Tom from a popular David Bowie song. This tiny astronaut symbolises the eternal human yen for exploration and transcendence, to contemplate the boundless mysteries of the cosmos and the allure of venturing into the great unknown.
A member of the National Artists Union who has worked as a scenographer in the National Opera and Drama Theatre of Odesa, Iryna Dobrovetska in 2022 left her homeland to live and work in London. She has already made her mark in the UK, participating in several exhibitions there and elsewhere in Europe, and in being a Selected Artist at the London Art Biennale 2023. She has limited edition prints available on Hahnemühle archival paper which gives vibrant and long-lasting colours, and markets mulberry silk scarves in her designs.
Viktoriia Kartashova specialises in abstract expressive psychological portraits. Self-taught, she went on to be a tutor at Salvador Dali Academy of Contemporary art in Kyiv. The London show presents two of her precise but animated and touching acrylic portraits from her series Revive, probing characteristics, beliefs, expressions and emotions of individual personalities. We can see through art, she asserts, how to survive in the world these days.
She says on her website that A Part of my Soul is “not a self-portrait. My soul is divided into small pieces, so there are many particles of happiness, love and joy in me… To live means to live every moment. Yes, not all moments are positive. But remember: if you do not have sad moments, then the good ones will not be so bright.”
Of It’s your Choice… “You decide how you want to live. You choose your path. And no-one, no-one has the right to choose it for you. Just know that your future depends on you. If you don’t like your job at all, the issue is not the society or a bad boss. The issue is your choice. Your life is actually in your hands!”
Viktoriia’s other portrait series bear the titles No more…, 3D World through Eyes, and Fashion Eyes. In the series No more, for instance, is No more tears… about a girl who leaves a toxic relationship after years of suffering. Titles are stark: No more. Burned life. Ukraine. Mariupol and in No more hurt “it’s okay to be offended because as insult accumulates, it poisons your life, so the offence must be admitted, spoken and forgiven.” Viktoriia has applied her portrait style to many other subjects, from Young Mona Lisa to Johnny Depp.
Professor Oksana Fursa, who has a doctorate in art history, has been described as “a true pearl of Ukrainian folk art.” Her works reflect the spirit of ancient rock paintings and medieval prints. Her new acrylic Splitting the Sky is a superb example of her manner. One day, in the national reserve Askania Nova, for the first time in her life Oksana witnessed the ascent from the water of a flock of pink flamingos. The birds sliced through the sky with their graceful wings, adding tender pink, shimmering rays to the heavenly blue. She says that in this inspirational natural location “the overwhelming emotions of awe, happiness, and the beauty of this incredible moment of joy burst onto the canvas in a mosaic whirlwind.” The colours of nature and the artist’s vision “merge into a common synergy, dreaming, hoping, and believing in our Happy TOMORROW!”
Oksana, who is president of Kyiv’s Salvador Dali Art Academy, is skilled in the “counter stroke” technique, painting with two hands simultaneously. Her design brand is Fursa Painting Folk Art, which in partnership with various companies produces jewellery, clothes, silk accessories, Christmas gifts, book illustrations and furniture design. She has worked as an animated cartoon artist, an advertising designer, an architect, and a fashion designer. In 2005 she held the presidency of the Confederation of Designers and Stylists of Ukraine.
The youngest participant in the London show is vivacious Karina Kucherenko, an expressionist artist who creates bright and vibrant paintings. She declares on her website: “My works are a reflection of my character, mentality and positive outlook on life. My main goal is to show people how beautiful our world is. To convey its brightness, versatility and uniqueness.” This she does with panache in, for instance, the bracing Undersea World, rendered in oil on canvas.
Karina adds unapologetically: “Paintings are not made, they are born. They are born out of the inspiration that arises in the moment of admiration for what I see.” Travelling in many countries, she has revelled in sunshine and warmth. “The fusion of mild climate, sea, ships, yachts and stunning sunsets is an endless source of inspiration.”
She admits: “My creative start was not easy. I grew up in a small town where people understood little about creativity. For a long time, I denied the path of the artist. I struggled with myself, thinking that paintings can only be a hobby, but not a job. After a while, I began to show my work to the public. It was a great joy when complete strangers enthusiastically began to talk about my work. Then I realised that I do not want another path for myself… Humans cannot live without air, and I am an artist who cannot live without her colours.”
At the age of 21 Karina opened her own art gallery in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, which has since come under fierce bombardment. In February 2022, she sold her first NFT digital artwork.
Ivanna Urban fashions textured canvases with a rich palette of acrylics, oils and sprays, influenced by her studies in art weaving and sacred art. This is her way of creating a tactile spiritual narrative. Her pieces are alive with abstract shapes, evocative portraits and scenes from nature that echo the cyclical character of life.
Igor Kudelin’s abstract projects, including the notable series Point and Dharma, bring out static harmony and plastic rhythm. His meditative approach seeks through the repetition of vertical and horizontal lines to evoke the boundlessness of the universe and the perpetual flow of life akin to a river. Pursuing freedom from the confines of a rational approach to creativity, he explores communication with viewers through simple code-like visual rhythms.
He is an enthusiast for contemporary art in all its manifestations – abstraction, figurative, digital. Over 25 years, he has – in over 40 group exhibitions and 11 solo projects in museums and galleries throughout Ukraine – transitioned from sensory-visual explorations to protest art, ultimately embracing asceticism. Antagonistic to consumerism and banality, he laments that all trends in contemporary art have merged into a huge conglomerate of pop culture and kitsch, “yet, some works must strive for pure idea and truth, which is what I am trying to do.”
Igor’s early years were shaped by an architectural background, initially sculpting small forms from metal and wood and later in installations, and painting on synthetic fabric, in performances, and curating of art projects.
Ukrainian Art House added the special participation of Jincheng Liu, with his “metaphorical visual voices.” His painting on display, from his False Real series, with its blue and yellow emphasis might co-incidentally suggest the colours of the flag of Ukraine, although the exhibition takes care to avoid political topics.
Born in Beijing, Jincheng Liu after attaining his BA at the fine art department of the Capital Normal University, and postgraduate study at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, set up an art studio in London. He explains the False Reality theme: “People’s information and communication channels are multifaceted, fragmented, unsystematic, and we are seeing the rise of ‘self-media’. Information is difficult to distinguish between true and false and can affect people’s daily behaviour.
“I try to combine the traditional Chinese ink painting with western oil painting techniques to create a new artistic language. I use paper as the object of my expression – such as paper masks and other paper objects. I have chosen to portray a false reality in a photorealistic way, to reflect the false reality (and contradiction between false and real) that exists in our daily lives. When people see the object I draw, they think it is a real object and want to touch it, but they are overwhelmed when they find out that it is a painting and not a real object. People tend to accept the false truth, even the false image of the real will be accepted.”
The mission of Ukrainian Art House is to be “a creative bridge between Ukraine and Britain, promote cultural exchange, develop creative relationships, and reveal the richness of Ukrainian talent in artistic and investment circles.” The venture says it brings together Ukrainian reflection in London, cultural diplomacy through art and support for talents living in Ukraine. It also highlights investments in contemporary art, with the exhortation “Discover unique investment opportunities with exceptional pieces from celebrated Ukrainian artists, and interior décor, enhancing homes with distinctive artworks.”
A further aim is facilitating trade between Ukraine and the UK through strategic initiatives. “By connecting Ukrainian artists and designers with international markets, it contributes significantly to economic growth and stability.”
Nataliia Horbenko said: “Every brushstroke embodies the vibrant culture of Ukraine… we serve as a beacon of cultural diplomacy and creative expression.”
This rewarding and memorable display will be seen as a touchstone not just for the contemporary art of Ukraine, but as a distinguished contribution to the international evolution of 21st century fine art.
HJ Art Gallery opened in 2019 in London “to satisfy art culture and history lovers and display a myriad of colour from across the globe,” directors Hossein Jaghouri and Taraneh Jaghouri already having extensive experience in Italy since 1984, dealing in fine art from ancient to modern, and exhibiting at prestigious shows.
Captions in detail:
Sunny Bunny, 2022, from the Pareidolia series. Oil on canvas. By Iryna Dobrovetska.
Sphericity, 2021, from the Pareidolia series. Oil on canvas. by Iryna Dobrovetska.
Splitting the Sky, 2023. Wings series. By Oksana Fursa. Canvas, acrylic, burnt umber, metal rust, patina, mixed media author’s technique. The Rust Collection.
A Part of my Soul, 2023, from the series Revive. Linen canvas, acrylic, mixed media. By Viktoriia Kartashova.
It’s your Choice… from the series Revive. Linen canvas, acrylic, mixed media. By Viktoriia Kartashova.
Undersea World, 2020. Oil on canvas By Karina Kucherenko.
Artist Igor Kudelin and Ukrainian Art House in London director Nataliia Horbenko with Igor’s Treatise on Contemporary Art 6, and Treatise on Contemporary Art 7, 2020, acrylic on canvas.
False Real Series 628. By Jincheng Liu. Oil and acrylic on linen.
Director of HJ Art Gallery Hossein Jaghouri, Taraneh Jaghouri co-director and gallery manager, and artist Ivanna Urban during the private view.
Serendipity, an exhibition of Ukrainian Art House in London, runs until August 8, 2024, at HJ Art Gallery & Antiques, 48-50 Kensington Church Street, London W8. See: https://www.ukrainianarthouse.uk/
