olechko

On our latest visit to Lviv  I met this amazing artist Oleksandr Fedorchuk ( we actually went to art school together, him being two years senior). Now a renowned icon painter, does amazing Byzantium style works in traditional technique.

Besides we visited our old digs at Dzyga to drink coffee Lviv style and catch the latest exhibit. Check out a new show at Zelena Kanapa. Finally checked out Kryivka to drink some good beer by Persha Lvivska Brovarnya, medivka and experience the nationalist Ukrainian army atmosphere - machine guns, Georgia supporting manifestos and field trip type of food. A climb to the top of city hall for breathtaking vies and visit to many bookshops and antique books market by Ivana Fedorova monument were all a must.

2008 oil on board 6×6 inches

We stayed in the house on the right once during our visit to Lviv. 17th century house - got to be charming and all, right? Well, the tram tracks are quiet indeed as the landlord promised us, but the cat piss and very rickety stairs to the top floor are no joy. In my recent epic apartment hunt I found out though that surprisingly, many historic buildings in London are not kept up either, so can’t blame it on Ukrainians’ aesthetics alone.

Today attended a life drawing session at the Candida gallery, here are the results.

This painting is part of my post-Soviet series. Please send your bid by email if you want to purchase this painting.

I got a call from Olesya Domaradzska at Green Sofa (Zelena Canapa) gallery in Lviv to let me know that a new piece by this young artist that we liked arrived at her gallery today. Over holidays we really liked to get her Christmas tree candle holder, but now she came up with an adorable angel candle holder instead. If any of you swing by the Green Sofa on Virmenska st. in Lviv, it can be yours for $50.

Interesting article on the general state of Ukrainian art market by Kyiv Weekly.

My upcoming exhibit full page ad for the IWCK newsletter. Still work in progress.

15×15 cm, oil on board, 2008, private collection

… as seen from the window of the Opera hotel. The room we took sits right below the terrace restaurant of the hotel. The view was spectacular, particularly at dusk.
Kei at Stop Eating Crap! got a kick out of my fruit and vegetable street sellers.

John Erickson - an American painter that does wonderful impressionistic cityscapes.

Fun illustrator and graffiti painter from Lviv that I found on Flickr - Irena Zablotska.

Under the curatorship of Alexandr Glyadelov, 23 documentary photographers produced their photos in an analogue technique for the project “Insight. Ukrainian Black & White Photography XXI c.” It will evolve into an exhibit, a book and series of gallery talks. Here are some fine examples of the work presented:

Viktor Suvorov. Kyiv, 2003

Eduard Stranadko. Poltava, Panyanskiy Boulevard, 2005

The photos will be on show here:

Lviv: 26 march 2008 - 13 april 2008 “Dzyga” Gallery

Kyiv: 04 march 2008 - 16 march 2008 “Dim Mykoly” Gallery

Photos from www.blackandwhite.org.ua

Cryhitka Zahes, oil on board, 18×24 cm, 2008. Please send your bid by email if you want to purchase this painting.

Recently I saw a show by an indie band from Kyiv called Kryhitka Zahes (Cleine Zahes) at the Lyal’ka club in Lviv. There is girl with long bags who sings, two guitar players and a drummer who puts on particularly electrifying act. The band (singer in particular) has a European indie(pendent) artsy feel about it, in the way they dress and act on stage, like too many bands in the West do, and too few - here. They performed some old things you’d recognize from hearing them on a radio, and some new, a song about a car was very good. They’ve got a new bass player - as their original bassist has recently passed away.

The band’s got an environmental message they promote. A girl sitting next to me won a canvas grocery bag for answering some band-related trivia right. (btw, Ukrainians widely recycle their plastic bags too).

Check out their My Space profile for samples of their music and list of upcoming shows.

24.01.08 worked off the original doodle to paint this scene now in oil.

The old Dzyga art center in Lviv refurbished and opened it’s indoor restaurnat Pid Klepsydou on Virmenska st. this season. Love the newspaper-like menu, napkin holders made of picture frame cut-offs, authentic vaulted ceilings. The second floor space is particularly nice. And you can go check out the gallery too while waiting for your order. I heard a lot of praise about gtheir chicken intestents soup, xoxo. And, don’t get the mulled wine - they put way too much mint in there.

Greetings from Lviv - we are celebrating the catholic Christmas here this year. The local Green Sofa gallery set the perfect mood for this with great selection of local greats:

Olha Pylnyk’s ceramic Christmas tree / candle holder:

………..

The Carpathians on Christmas by Mykhailo Demtsiu (who recently has had a solo show at the Triptych gallery);

and a little shepherd from children’s book illustration by Olha Kwasha:

During our last visit to Lviv I came across Olena’s show at the Green Sofa gallery. It was mostly paintings of her cat, prosaic, you’ll say, but the way she does it… Looking back I kind of compare her freshness of subject matter with Sasha Makarska. She is much more mature though, well-respected by the art critics, established in the Lviv art scene and yet to be discovered by the Kyiv buyers. Therefore her monumental pieces go for around $1,000.

Checking with her earlier works I found an amazing series of Lviv backyard landscapes. The light in them grabs your attention the most. I put out here every picture I could get my hands on from those series: