The post ‘Golden Shadows’ exhibit by Rukh Art Hub shimmers and shines in downtown New York appeared first on The Ukrainian Weekly.
Golden Shadows: Ukrainian Art Exhibit in New York
The Mriya Gallery in New York City is currently hosting an exhibit featuring the works of two prominent Ukrainian artists, Tata Kolesnik and Tetiana Albitska-Kostomorova.
The exhibit, a collaboration between Rukh Art Hub and Mriya Gallery, showcases 27 paintings by Kolesnik and 6 sculptures by Albitska-Kostomorova. The opening reception on September 12 attracted over 100 attendees.
Celebrating Ukrainian Art and Culture
The "Golden Shadows" exhibit aims to bridge Ukrainian and New York communities through art. It celebrates the inner lives and collective soul of humanity, with a focus on female images.
For Kolesnik and Albitska-Kostomorova, both Ukrainian refugees, exhibiting their works in New York City is a dream come true. They are excited to share their art with a global audience and see their creations take on a new life.
Kolesnik's Boundless Paintings
Kolesnik's paintings are known for their vibrant colors, realistic imagery, and religious iconography. Inspired by classical myths, renaissance art, and personal experiences, her works explore themes of spirituality, earthliness, and sensuality.
The paintings in the exhibit feature a range of subjects, including women, nature, and cultural symbols. Kolesnik's unique style blends modern and classical elements, creating a visually striking and thought-provoking experience.
Addressing the War in Ukraine
Some of Kolesnik's paintings directly address the ongoing war in Ukraine. "Connection," created in 2022, depicts two women representing the contrasting realities of destruction and peaceful life in the country.
Ukrainian Art Exhibition
“It’s the feeling of being in the war and not in the war at the same time. There’s unity and duality and contrast in the experiences of those who go to fight for our country, and those who stay at home to raise our children and protect our normal way of life.”
Ms. Albitska-Kostomorova’s whimsical white poly stone sculptures are displayed at intervals around the gallery, adding dimension and nuance to the exhibit, a white glow reflecting and permeating all the gold. The sculptures, smooth and fluid, are of voluptuous female figures who frolic and lounge blissfully, celebrating “physical life in all its manifestations,” as stated in the press release.
Ms. Albitska-Kostomorova, who also shares her sculptures with the visually impaired and has works displayed in galleries and museums across Europe and the U.S., welcomes viewers to touch the sculptures for a deeper level of sensual engagement. “When you touch the sculptures and feel the lines and curves, it offers another feeling, another vision,” Ms. Albitska-Kostomorova said.
Acknowledging that it’s been difficult to start new artworks with the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ms. Albitska-Kostomorova said she currently has some sketches for her next series, “Motherhood,” which will explore women’s roles during a time of war, as they nurture and support their families.
While Ms. Kolesnik and Ms. Albitska-Kostomorova have known each other for years through the art scene in their native city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, this is their first exhibition together. Ms. Albitska-Kostomorova said that through the process of participating in the exhibit she has seen the incredible work done by the Rukh Art Hub team in helping to bring Ukrainian art to the U.S. and global audiences.
Rukh Art Hub co-founders Mariia Manuilenko and Olga Severina, who prior to their collaboration with Mriya Gallery organized a dozen Ukrainian art exhibitions in cities across the U.S., expressed gratitude for their new opportunities to share the work of Ukrainian artists with the world. “That’s what we love about New York; it’s about the connections you can make, and the speed at which you can make them,” Ms. Severina said. “New York helps you move faster towards your goals.”
As the Ukrainian word “rukh” means movement, movement is of course a key feature of the Rukh Art Hub mission. “We are always moving forward, creating new experiences and exhibits every time,” Ms. Severina said.
Ms. Severina explained that through their growing art world connections in New York they’ve been able to have the works of Ukrainian artists added to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Library. Potential collaborations with the Whitney Museum and the Brooklyn Museum lie ahead.
Ms. Manuilenko noted that, as a curator in her native city of Kharkiv before the war, it was challenging to find gallery space for local artists to exhibit even just a few hours away in Kyiv. Now, however, they are able to exhibit frequently in New York City, one of the largest and most competitive art markets on the planet.
Over a recent period of 10 days, the teams from Rukh Art Hub and Mriya Gallery had two additional exhibits, a fundraising gala event in the Hamptons in which they raised $32,000 to help support Ukrainian children affected by the war, and the Volta New York Art Fair.
Up next is their exhibit titled “Water Drops on Burning Rocks” that opens on October 19, and a collaboration with The Ukrainian Museum for Community Activation, a day of art, music and community activities that runs from noon to 5 p.m. on October 5 at 222 East 6th street in New York’s historic Ukrainian Village district. In the meantime, they are welcoming visitors to come enjoy the art of “Golden Shadows.”
Ms. Kolesnik and Ms. Severina described how viewers of the artworks become key collaborators with the artists in a sense, adding layers of meaning and deepening the artworks’ significance as viewers bring their own experiences, interpretations and perceptions to the paintings and sculptures. “It’s wonderful to hear about people’s personal experience with the paintings,” Ms. Kolesnik said. “Arousing personal stories and feelings of wonder and tenderness and compassion in viewers is part of our artistic joy and what the art is made for.”
Information on upcoming Ukrainian art exhibits can be found at rukharthub.com and mriya.nyc.
Support