Anyone can hold a brush, but few can wield it so masterfully as to create paintings that even the president of Ukraine is eager to buy. The Kyiv artist Olena Lonska is one of the chosen few.
Since childhood she has painted pictures using her own technique, adding innovative touches to the Petrykivka school of painting applying black outlines to every detail. The artist’s solo exhibit, entitled Iak tebe ne liubyty, Kyieve mii! (I Can’t Stop Loving Kyiv!) has opened at the Zhukovsky School of Art and continues until the end of September. Her paintings have been purchased by President Viktor Yushchenko, an art museum in Australia, and private collectors in Holland, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, and Spain.
Art specialists say that Lonska’s paintings are unique, especially considering that the artist paints with her left hand. She has been handicapped since childhood, a victim of cerebral palsy that left her right hand paralyzed. Despite this drawback, she chose painting as her life’s vocation. After completing her studies, she wanted to work in a souvenir factory, where she was supposed to decorate the dishes with Petrykivka designs. She never got the job because of her medical history.
“Instead of twiddling my thumbs at home, I decided to start painting for myself. This marked the beginning of my creative career. Eventually I was invited to take part in local art competitions, then national competitions in Ukraine, and later international competitions. I have submitted several works to an international competition in Albania. I don’t know the results yet,” said Lonska.
Her current exhibit features 43 of her works. She has an equal number at home. Lonska doesn’t know how many of her paintings are scattered in various countries; she is tired of counting them. Most of her works have found their way abroad thanks to the physicians who have treated her. While attending medical congresses, they would bring her paintings as souvenirs for their colleagues. A number of her works were purchased by foreigners who attended her exhibits.
The artist spends one month working on each canvas because she wants her works to reflect the greatest possible number of creative ideas. She often paints flowers, animals, and fairy-tale characters. This is probably why her works appear childishly naive, permeated with warmth and joy.
“Olena’s best friends are the heroes of her works. Although she has won a number of awards, titles, and prizes, she has no friends,” said the artist’s mother Nina, who added that “painting has become her greatest joy in life. Her father and I don‘t let her spend a single minute thinking about her physical condition; we keep convincing her that life is beautiful, no matter what.”
The artist conveys her optimism through her brilliantly colored works. A number of her canvases (Easter Still Lifes, Fairy-tale Birds, Winter Fancy, Festive Mood) allow the viewer to enter her wonderland. Lonska says that fairy-tale motifs bring consolation and psychological balance.
This Kyiv artist works on her art every day. She is now creating a series of floral postcards, using animal-hair brushes to emphasize the smallest details and draw the most delicate lines. After this solo exhibit her works will be moved to the Ivan Honchar Museum. Lonska doesn’t want to predict the future, but she is convinced that she will never part with paintbrushes for as long as she lives.
