Stupka in Yakutovych’s graphic

Exhibition of graphics and paintings of renowned artist Serhii Yakutovych “Stupka in Past, Present, and Future” is open at Kyiv-based Atrybut Art Gallery. This is a vernissage in memory of the famous Ukrainian actor. The actor’s family and staff of the Ivan Franko National Theater apart from paintings added to the exhibition the actor’s make-up table, hats, costumes, photographs, and other theatrical and cinematic attributes that belonged to the coryphaeus of modern Ukrainian theater and cinema. The creative paths of the artist Serhii Yakutovych and actor Bohdan Stupka first crossed while working on the film A Prayer for Hetman Mazepa. This was followed by the work on the film Taras Bulba and other creative projects. The exposition features a few dozens of paintings by Yakutovych in which he portrayed the iconic roles of Stupka in theater and cinema, among them there are: Tevie Tevel, Taras Bulba, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ivan Mazepa, mayor from Revizor, and others. Every painting is a brief but a very meaningful illustration of film production or a play with Stupka in various roles in focus. Historical events unfold around him, passions run high, lives get crashed and new ones get born. Stupka is always in the midst of it all. In each of his works the artist gives the viewer the opportunity to experience the most dramatic episodes of the story together with the main character. Stupka in his career created over 250 characters in theater, cinema, and television. “Man does not appear to fly… But he has wings, he has wings!” a line from Stupka’s favourite poem by Lina Kostenko “Wings.” He always recited her poems at his concerts and these words may be an epigraph to all his creative and personal life.