The Man who Loves Irises

The Griffin Gallery has opened Kyiv artist Mykola Hrokh’s personal exposition. The man seems to be skilled in every conceivable graphic technique. In addition, he teaches and managers an art studio in the Artist’s Home. The current display consists of watercolors. Something resembling studio still lifes and Wrubel’s magical works. The common ground for what seems two perfect opposites is perhaps a very special selection of subjects. In other words, Hrokh’s watercolor still lifes depicting manmade or natural objects, flowers, are primarily interpreted as works of art, moreover as beauty incarnate, meaning that they are self-sufficient absolute values. Invariably present in every work are exquisiteness, even elegance, be it a precious fabric or an iris petal, and fragility, be it a china cup or a flower’s stem, most likely his favorite iris. He loves them all: violet, purple, yellow. In any case, he loves them in his watercolors.