Artistic party, or how Ukrainians popularize art during the war

This time, the points of residence of the event were the center of modern art, "White World" and The Crown Club. Thus, the organizers scaled the project and prepared a rich program, dividing the event into 2 separate components: a gallery exhibition and an art market with a music program of a festival nature.

According to the founders of the CREATIVE CONVENTION, Mr. Mykola (aka Kolia Kolshchik) and Ms. Eva (aka AVE EVA), this project aims to popularize non-standard vision and immersion in the wild fantasies of young Ukrainian artists. They create a space for those who still need to have the opportunity to exhibit at large exhibitions independently and those who already have exhibition experience but want to reach a new audience. Such a symbiosis inspires beginners and opens new doors for more experienced artists and guests of the event to see the spectrum of artistic thought from amateur to professional, having the opportunity to get to know the artists better and support the event participants.

The project successfully consolidates artists of different styles, approaches, and genres within a common artistic context. This time the participants were Olena Kainska, Zhenia Machkovska, Karyna Maleieva, Notika Bosa, Kseniia Bilan, Mariia Chernychko, Anhelina Datsiuk, Ira Sokur, Sasha Lunova, Valeriia Kravets, Misha Shyzm, Olha Lisovska, Darina Dekhtiar, Liza Obukhovska, Petro Petrovskyi, Kyrylo Liesnoi, Maksym Tretiak.

From painting to graphics, collage to engraving, and digital art to installation – with their works, the authors delve into the topic of the value of acquired experience and the formation of meanings. Some artists add an accompanying text that enhances the communicative power of their works, allowing the viewer to enter into a harmonious interaction with them.

"With this work, I continue to reflect on the topic of self-perception in the new reality in which Ukrainians are forced to live due to the full-scale invasion of Russia. I face distorting feelings and emotions, living in constant fear and uncertainty. At the same time, more than a year after the beginning of the invasion, I am also experiencing adaptation, adaptation to such an abnormal life," says Zhenia Machkovska about the work "Adaptation" (2023).

For every person, living in times of successive shifts in social and cultural focus is a defining period of "re-flashing" oneself as an individual. It can be a pretty easy or painful process, but artists openly share their thoughts and visions about it. Each of the authors demonstrates their inner world: someone creates it to find shelter and peace in stormy times; for someone, it is a safe space to fight their demons, and someone experiences difficult life situations in this way.

In this context, the presented canvases of Elena Kainska are iconic works. According to the artist, she works in the technique of pure art, creating textual and visual narratives of a philosophical and psychological nature. Elena explores the themes of finding inner peace, recovering from trauma, innate human kindness, and love as a guiding force in the universe. Her paintings are dreams that lead to the middle, subconscious, and core. In search of himself, the viewer travels through an imaginary world, fairy-tale forests filled with symbolic images and archetypal symbols, inhabited by strange creatures, each serving as a signpost to the destination - the heart.

In general, the exhibition evokes the impression of a journey-exploration of one's self by artists who, with their works, strive to emphasize the importance of sublimation of acquired experience and experienced emotions. And for those who play the role of a spectator, this is an excellent opportunity to follow the unfolding of the potential of the authors' personalities and to compare individual components of this process with their own experiences and impressions.

The article has been prepared for publication in Kyiv Daily.

The author of the text
Art historian and the art manager of the Imagine Point Gallery
Inna Kalenska