It so happened some time ago that several Oksanas met in the graduate school of the Kyiv Institute of Art. Their colleague, artist Ihor Yaremchuk, jokingly suggested they capitalize on the coincidence. Why not? The young graduate students thought it over and staged an exhibit. True, the exhibit was quite serious. Five years ago, on the Day of St. Kseniya of St. Petersburg, Oksana Berbeka-Stratiychuk, Oksana Kyrpenko, and Kseniya Khodakivska organized their first joint exhibition. A year later they were joined by Oksana Mylovzorova. Since then their membership has practically remained the same, as has the time of their annual show, except that each time the artists select a different topic. Last year, it was self-portraits. This time it is the Leaves of Summer Past, determining the display’s content (remembrances or rather fantasies about summer) and form (the exposition consists of prints made on paper — hence the title — and placed under glass).
All four artists, it should be noted, are well-known in the artistic world. They work a great deal and fruitfully, and their works are diverse and quite often shown. Yet their February vernissage attracts the greatest number of admirers. They are convinced: St. Kseniya’s Day will reveal a new facet of the four artists’ talent. Well, the least they can expect is that lovers will become acquainted with their new works, which is also a condition enforced by the four Oksanas.
Another attractive aspect of the display is that the given topic is revealed comprehensively, in a multifaceted and quite unexpected manner, since the artists’ styles are quite different. Oksana Mylovzorova’s restrained, expressive minimalism hangs side by side with Kseniya Khodakivska’s rich and multiple colors giving a multitude of details. Oksana Kyrpenko’s weightless gouache is next to Oksana Berbeka-Stratiychuk’s saturated colors and whimsical fantasies. Put together, they create an illusory world dominated by joy and tranquillity. Too bad our realities resemble it so little.
