Valery Franchuk’s Chamber World

Valery Franchuk’s one man show is on at the Children’s Academy of Art in Kyiv’s Obolon districts. The display is made up of canvases created by this noted and interesting Kyiv painter over the past several years. Comparatively small (29 pictures), it, of course, represents only a small part of what the artist has painted these last several years. However, all the works constituting this exhibit are characteristic in their own way and make it possible to assess the master’s original creative evolution.

Valery Franchuk’s individual style took shape long ago and has since transformed in a variety of ways, never loosing its recognizable quality and deeply penetrating musical expressiveness. The range of topics attracting the artist is vast. Biblical (Peace be With You! triptych and The Apostle Andrew) ones are complemented by scenes from Ukrainian history, ancient abandoned churches (The Soul is Alive There and Church Fortress in the Village of Sutkovytsi, Khmelnytsky Oblast), starting a dialogue with dynamic and complicated modern realities (Memories of Petrivka) and the inspired beauty of nature echoed by poetry and music (The Water Nymph’s World and Pussy Willow Water Nymphs).

Perhaps the main distinction of the paintings on display is their chamber character that may seem a bit unusual in the artist’s creative heritage, considering that Valery Franchuk is the author of monumental works and large cycles. The adjective chamber in this case does not mean small in size, especially since the exposition includes, without upsetting the general mood and concept, large canvases such as Song of the Forest and Trail of the Salt Merchants. But the point is different: understanding the problem, its interpretation and creative implementation.

Clearly, Valery Franchuk has no intention of moving from his vast cosmos, exposed to all the winds, to some cozy monastic cell. His church domes, trees, and bouquets in his still life paintings still reach for the sky, and the piercing cries of his birds reverberate among the stars (Lasting Cry and Domes). Yet there is considerably less anxiety, strain, and pain in that cosmos, or at least this is the impression one has after exploring his current show. Instead, there is more harmony of the world, however unsteady, and admiration of its at times truly magical beauty and wisdom.