The Movement from Decorativeness to Symbolism in the Painting of Vasyl Kovaliuk

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the work of the Bukovyna painter Vasyl Kovaliuk (1956‒2013), to highlight the path of his search for his own style of execution and the symbolism used by the artist. The research methodology requires the use of various methods, including: historical and biographical, which allow systematizing the artist’s creative manifestations according to the stages of formation and development of his individuality; the method of visual observation and art historical analysis, which allow tracing and classifying stylistic changes in the work of this author. The scientific novelty. The publication reveals the genre and stylistic features of Vasyl Kovaliuk’s painting heritage, which has not been studied by scientists, and introduces a significant number of the artist’s works into scientific circulation. Conclusions. Vasyl Kovaliuk graduated from the Vyzhnytsa School of Applied Arts (1975), where he studied artistic metalworking, but he considered studying the painting with Volodymyr Yugai in 1987–1992 to be the most important for his formation as an artist. Later, these paintings became a significant part of his work, despite the fact that decorative works were the first. V. Kovaliuk’s artistic heritage includes both realistic paintings and compositions based on a complex symbolic system built on symbols from different cultures, thematic and stylistic comparisons with paintings by artists from the Middle Ages to postmodernism. Noticeable changes in the manner of execution occurred after the artist’s trip to Italy and his acquaintance with the works of artists of the second half of the 20th century. Experimenting with surface shapes and textures, he supplemented the painting with relief or engraved motifs, collages, and sought to achieve expressiveness of colour combinations. V. Kovaliuk’s works since 1990 have been exhibited at many all-Ukrainian and international events, and his personal exhibitions were held in Spoltore in Italy (1994), Chernivtsi (1995, 2001) and Kyiv (2006). The painter’s works reflect the complex processes of artistic progress in Ukraine, and his creations are an important component of modern fine art in the territory of Bukovyna.