Painting that hears the voice of the kinship

Young artist Kateryna Tkachenko, whose paintings have been recently on display at the fifth all-Ukrainian exhibition “Ukraine from Trypillia until Today in the Images of Modern Artists,” made her first artistic steps in Kharkiv. However, she has recently moved to Kyiv “to find herself as an artist” and now works not only with painting but also in cinematography and theater studios. Tkachenko often works in the genre of historical painting and has developed her own style by now – “ethnic magic realism.” She is not afraid of experimenting and combines historical and modern things, she lets every image that she paints through herself. Many years of work on the topic of Hryhorii Skovoroda was embodied in the whole series of paintings full of heart philosophy and self-consciousness of the famous sage-traveller.

Genre of historical painting, which dates back to the Renaissance Era, allows the viewer to feel as if he was living in the time of the events pictured in the painting and even participated in them. What was your path to this genre – the new perception of the historic past?

“For me, first of all, it is the sense of those historic events and personalities, who have left an imprint in my heart and not the way they are conveyed through documents. This genre is close to me because it gives an opportunity to create something that would speak about the country and its image. In my opinion, prosperity of a state often began with self-awareness. Regardless of what attitudes there are towards Israel, they never lost their face and when in the early 20th century they built their own state, they did it with love to who they are. The same was with the US time of prosperity. It is very important for Ukrainian people to respect themselves and be proud of their national identity. Note of respect to who we are is present in my paintings. This was also close to the school of Viktor Hontarev as well as to boichukists (they combined modern with historical). Speaking of my path, it is a combination of historical roots, family, and mentality of the spirit with my perception of the world of the 21st century. I don’t want to do anything completely detached from the present, but, on the other hand, I do not want to close my eyes on where I come from. I was born in the country with great history and I respect its name, I love it. As Issac Newton once said: ‘If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants.’”

There are many self-portraits among your paintings. Both Socrates and Skovoroda (whose topic is close to you because you have paintings of him) talked about getting to know one’s own self and searching for happiness within oneself. In your case is a self-portrait a way to find your own self?

“It is true to a certain extent. First a young artist is learning, he is following a training program, then he tries to find himself. In my case, my teacher Viktor Hontarev played a very great role. He actually works with historical painting (by the way, he is the winner of Taras Shevchenko Prize). For example, when I worked on my first series of paintings ‘Painting: Woman,’ I tried to figure out what I was thinking about this world, about women in general, about who I am. When I worked on the series ‘Flowers of the Heart,’ I tried to understand myself as a woman in the modern world, a woman with Ukrainian historic roots. I am connected with that historic environment of our land, with things my ancestors used to do on this land, with what was in songs, paintings, and folk art. These are my roots and blood that flows in me – the blood of my ancestors and parents. Through all of that I was looking for my own image related to the family, to my land, and traditions. On the one hand, this is not historical painting because there are no historic figures in it, but, on the other hand, I made an attempt to draw along the movement of my land, to feel the flow and the state in which Ukrainian masters, who lived before me, used to work, and to feel how baroque art works and parsunas were created. I wanted to get that feeling, to pass through my mind and do in the modern art something that is associated with the past but reflects the modern self-actualization.”

Kharkiv has always been one of Ukraine’s cultural centers. At some point Maria Zankovetska, Prov Sadovsky, and Panas Saksahansky worked in the Kharkiv theaters. There is also a representative school of painting (Petro Levchenko, Mykhailo Tkachenko, and Mykola Samokysh). Tell us about the modern Kharkiv Painting School.

“Kharkiv art environment is very bright and diverse, it is more solid than in Kyiv, but is less united than one in Lviv. In Kharkiv there remained valuable architectural elements from the period of constructivism, but the city was destroyed during the war. Kharkiv is an industrial city, it is nonpoetic, utility-type city that does not inspire artists. Perhaps, despite of this there are so many artists in it.

“If to speak about what is now going on in the Art Academy, in the fine art there is a division into monumental and easel painting. Easel painters are focused on creating the kind of easel paintings that were in the late 19th century. It is classic realistic and even mostly landscape school. The other trend takes from Kharkiv monumentalism: the performance manner is more straightforward and of more decorative character, aimed at creating an image, a symbol, a plane, and perception of thought. Easel painters are focused on recreating photographically emotional state, while monumentalists – on creating something metaphorically symbolic that is beyond time. There is a municipal gallery in Kharkiv which represents the intersection of these trends: symbolically monumental with contemporary. Speaking of personalities, Pavlo Makov, Viktor Sydorenko, and Borys Mykhailov – people who are now recognized in the world as stars of modern art also come from Kharkiv.”

What is your vision of contemporary art and a career path of a young artist in it?

“In my case it was the art lyceum, art school, and then Art Academy. You begin wondering about that when classes finish. Then an artist has to move forward on his own. Artists have such notion as ‘do for the drawer,’ ‘write for the drawer’ (the phrase ‘dance for the drawer’ seems especially interesting), which basically means not to realize oneself. I realized that if I were to paint one by one and a half meter paintings ‘for the drawer’ then soon there would be no room left both in my studio and at home. You have to cross the barrier when you are being told: And then what? It is impossible to be an artist nowadays. Who on earth needs that art? You have to overcome yourself. My first step was graphic design project ‘Dream of His Childhood,’ then – painting series ‘Painting: Woman.’ I got the feeling that I was welcomed to the world of art and nothing bad happened. The most important thing is to begin and believe in yourself.

“In the modern artistic environment there is a division into those, who consider contemporary to be natural for us, and those, who perceive it as something disgusting that came to us from the West and disgraces our native art. In my opinion, this is just a typical feature of the time: just like in the early 20th century when avant-garde gave rise to the modern art which is developing now. It is very diverse and it is the most important in a young artist’s life to find something that relates the best to him. It does not really matter whether it is a classic realistic painting or contemporary art. If it really reflects the nature of a person, then it is his path. That is why Skovoroda is so close to me: he guides a man into search of himself, of what was given to him by God. Personally, I am interested in both having concept in art (almost all my works are projects) and in fine solution – combination of historical and modern. I am in favor of creating modern national works instead of creating national stuff by following stamps and cliches.”