More than 30 paintings, as well as drawings, earthenware plates, and almost a dozen ceramic sculptures: this was the fullest collection of works presented by one of the most conspicuous Ukrainian artists, Yulia Hushul. The Vinnytsia Local History Museum is hosting her exhibit titled “Space Mallows,” in which Hushul presented unique samples of traditional authentic Ukrainian art, reverberating the voices of the world of today. Due to the symbolism of her paintings, executed in the style of primitive art, Hushul is often compared to the legendary Maria Prymachenko.
Despite being born into an artistic family, Hushul took up painting only a couple of years ago. Besides, she had long worked as a journalist and editor for a number of Kyiv-based media. Several years ago she moved to Vinnytsia oblast. According to Hushul, it is her husband who suggested she take up art: he presented her with gouache colors and a brush and told her to start painting.
“An old calendar was my first ‘canvas.’ I held him and thought that no one needs it, it would be no problem if I ruin it. When I had painted full a couple of calendars, I took a clean sheet of paper and painted a strange, yet kind creature,” shares the artist. “Even now, as I sit down to a new canvas, I have no idea what images might come up. Sometimes it seems to me that I do not paint on my own, but someone merely moves my hands. I am something like a channel for self-expression. The main thing is to take the brush and colors, let your mind go blank, and creation begins. Then you certainly meet something or someone wonderfully strange and hitherto unseen.”
Besides paintings, Hushul exhibited her ceramic works, now for the first time. Less than a year ago (to be more precise, past February) she took a ball of clay and started making items that could be painted. This was the beginning of her series of plates, decorated with engobes and glazing.
“The idea to hold a personal exhibit occurred to me during the project “Path,” organized by the art agency Art-Pole. Together with Crimean Tatar ceramist Rustem Skibin we painted the facade of Library No. 1 in Vinnytsia. And then some journalists asked me why I did not held a personal exhibition. This was past year, in the fall. I had more than a year to prepare everything,” continued Hushul. “In the winter I fell love with clay, visited Mykhailo Didenko’s atelier, made a couple of items for an exhibit, then painted a couple of ceramic plates, and then one morning I thought I might give lectures and master classes which I could organize during a presentation. I was lucky as I had enough time to organize not just an exhibit but an art festival dedicated to naive art.”
Hushul’s project “Space Mallows” consists of 14 events. This is the first time in museum practice that an exposition is accompanied by a number of events and activities for adults and children. These include discussions about contemporary authentic art, talks on naive art, film evenings for adults and children, and various master classes. This artistic performance at the local history museum will last through December 11.
