How social networks give a chance to make the impossible work

The exhibition features paintings, graphic art, photographs, and design objects. Seven artists presented their works on a joint site. They all are former college classmates (the exhibition takes place thanks to the social networks)…

International project “Windows” features works of artists, whose names are well known in art circles today: Lara Symonova, Yevhenia Miro, Yevhen Sehal, Kostiantyn Kolobov, Ihor Ilinsky, Dmytro Danish, and Vlad Miliavsky. These artists come from the US, France, Sweden, and Ukraine. They work in different styles and genres. But they all have something in common – alma mater. Thirty years ago they all came to study at Kharkiv Art College. Back then they were united not only by the fact that they attended the same art school, but also through friendship, which only happens in youth years… But the adult life scattered them around the world: some stayed in Ukraine, but most of the artists went abroad. They all earned a name as artists, as people of art, who constantly experiment in different areas.

After many years the artists found each other by chance – through social networks. Almost immediately they came up with an idea to organize a joint exhibition project “Windows.” But at first it seemed to be impossible… However, it turned out that there is nothing impossible about this idea. The hardest thing was to agree on time that would suit all.

The exhibition presents paintings as windows into different worlds that offer the audience to get a peek of what’s in there. These are other worlds both in terms of life style, landscapes, and architecture, and in terms of inner world, that has been affected, in particular, by certain circumstances in which every artists found himself.

“This is, in fact, a good opportunity to see how much the artistic perception of a group of interesting artists has changed over time and with the change of residence location. That is our perception,” said Lara SYMONOVA (artist who now lives in Sweden, but her paintings are filled with the spirit of the Mediterranean).

Another participant of the project, Yevhenia Miro, is sometimes referred to as the most famous designer in contemporary Russia. After graduating from Kharkiv Art College she studied in Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts and then in Fashion School of David Jones in England. Her first solo independent project “Time” was implemented with the assistance of Jones. By the way, the elements of the clock mechanism are one of the artist’s favorite themes. Miro worked in different art techniques: graphics, stained glass, mosaics, painting on porcelain and silk, papier-mache… Her art works are exhibited in Russia, England, France, Germany, Sweden, and the US. Miro also designed theatrical scenery, especially for the Mariinsky Theater and Pyotr Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra, designs for fashion houses, design stylistics for interiors.

“For Miro Ukraine became an inexhaustible source of love for color, rhythm, and plastics – all those things that make her works recognizable and unique,” said Olha MARTOVSKA, art critic. “Her designs can be contemplated for hours, finding new details and meanings. Symbolism is another recognizable feature of the artist. Symbols as an encrypted system of signs attract us, we hope to reveal the wisdom of a symbol, use it as a talisman for protection, like something that brings good luck, as a pledge of great love, happiness, wisdom, and strength that is reflected in solar signs of Yevhenia Miro.”

Dmytro Danish currently lives in the United States. He is a representative of realistic painting school. He works mainly in the genre of urban landscape. He graduated from the Department of Interior Design of Kharkiv Art and Industry Institute (now the State Academy of Arts and Design). His independent creative career began in 1990. Since 2003 he lives in the US.

Most of the paintings of another project participant, Kostiantyn Kolobov, actually resemble windows: the artist shows the multitude of worlds and their interpretations through repetitions in his compositions and various abstract and color variants on one canvas, sticking to one and the same recognizable image. His painting is distinguished due to the brightness of palette, decorative character, and some irony.

Artistic range of Yevhen Sehal stands from realism to abstraction and sometimes both are interwoven in his paintings, he is constantly experimenting.

Ihor Ilinsky is often referred to as Kharkiv and Ukrainian impressionist. His realistic scenes as if come from other eras, from some inner worlds, immersing the audience in a certain atmosphere. The main thing in his paintings is mood reflection. Be it the blues and sadness in rainy weather experienced by a resident of a European town or genial mood during an evening walk along Kharkiv streets. When you look at his retro scenes the feelings penetrate into your soul, taking you, as if in a time machine, to the 19th century. In 1995 he made a series of paintings in the film style (for the 100th anniversary of Lumiere, the artist was invited to present his works at the exhibition in Paris). Since that time his art works depicting people, cafes, musicians, and cityscapes have been highly estimated at various exhibition sites in Ukraine, France, Germany, Russia, Estonia, and Finland.

Vladyslav Miliavsky works with design and travel-photography. He is one of the founders of the independent music label in New York known in Europe and the US as the Trail Records. The artist defines the technique in which his art works are made as photographics. He conveys his impressions from visiting various countries in moments of silence, for example, as in deserted places in New York…

You can have a peek at “Windows” until September 29 before the exhibition closes.