A new exhibit of artist Volodymyr Podlevsky “Idols and tiny gods” (which lasts from October 25 till November 14 in Kyiv’s Chocolate House) was created under the influence of journeys to India. There is a sense of fascination with ancient and modern India in Volodymyr Podlevsky’s “Idols and tiny gods” series. These are various images: Indian folk toys – elephants and horses, bandaged with colorful ribbons, metal Indian sculptures; boats, holidays, magical rites. And also an image of a monkey, which is repeated in many works, reminding humans about their animal and at the same time divine nature. Even today, monkey families live near the ancient temples in India, as if guarding the people’s connection with their ancient deities, idols and tiny gods. The girl embracing a monkey on the painting My second father reminds about the eternity of cyclically renewed life and reincarnation, the philosophy of which is exposed in Buddhism and Hinduism. And the composition Ablution in the waters of the Eternal River – about water baptism. And about the fact that all modern religions have their origins in India, the country from which all the religions flow. A country where people live each day like their last one, which makes them infinitely happy, even if their everyday life is much poorer than ours. While traveling to Indian cities, Volodymyr Podlevsky noted that in this ancient civilization, which gave the world four religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism and which has 23 languages and 1,652 dialects, every person has its own God. Once the artist asked a noble Indian young man: “Who is your God?” The Hindu answered: “My God is my mother.” Maybe because of that the series “Idols and tiny gods” include often repeated portraits of Indian women with children – their little deities, so ingenuous and pure in their original love.
Volodymyr Podlevsky was born on October 11, 1960 in Andrushivka in the Zhytomyr region. In 1985 he graduated from the Lviv Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts. He’s a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. He performs and exhibits his works in the techniques of easel painting and gesso. He participated in all-Ukrainian, foreign and international exhibit and festivals. During 1990-2011, he conducted more than 25 personal expositions in Ukraine and the United States.
