olha pryymak

I stumbled across an essay on this Ukrainian lady artist. This is her oil painting titled Julien’s Studio. She left her family for to Paris to study art (where all the action was at the time). She kept an intriguing diary since she was 15, written in French, that was published all across Europe. She died at just 24. Just found out there is a novel out about her – by Mykhailo Slaboshpyts’kyi. I am off to Petrivka! (The picture above is taken from Ukrainian Culture History, Book 4.

25.10.07: did not find the book anywhere but by changing the spelling of her name to Russian (Мария Ба?кирцева) found a full text of her diary posted online on this Russian website, as well a plethora of information on her French site.

Center for Contemporary Art at NaUKMA shows now four young artists among which Lesia Khomenko is worth the visit. Her large-scale oils of people depicted from below grab your attention. While at the show, I felt like the figures would have benefited from having their faces worked out in more detail… CCA’s site comes in English too and the space is sponsored by the Soros Foundation.

The young happening place these days – Zeh gallery – is curated by artist Anatoliy Sloiko. Today it shows an exhibit by Sasha Sulymeneko “Die, Football” – depicting mostly larger then life paintings of football players in action. Ulyanov reviewed it very much the way I saw it too at his proza.com.ua site.

Btw, when entering the gallery, I was politely asked if I was there to contribute – apparently they are collecting ladies’ for their next art show …
16 Illinska St. on Podil in Kyiv