Anatolii Melnyk has been working as a director of the National Art Museum for 12 years. Most of this time he has hardly ever taken a brush, since, as he confessed, he has had no time. However, the official has not forgotten his initial job. “I have been an artist and I will remain one,” Melnyk confessed. “When preparing this exhibit I wanted to have a look at us, Ukrainians, a bit from aside. I wanted to be an observer but the one in the know.”
Characters’ of Anatolii Melnyk’s paintings displayed at the exhibit, Mamaichuky, are modern Ukrainians, descendents of the famed Cossack Mamai, unadorned, as the author feels them. They have faced modern problems, serious social deformations. However, despite all this, Mamaichuky have not lost their love for life.
Ukrainians coming to the exhibit will see themselves and will probably laugh at themselves. In author’s opinion, today it is especially important to be able to laugh at oneself. “In my paintings I’m ironic about certain Ukrainian types, scenes from our everyday life we regularly get into,” Anatolii Melnyk continued. “It seems to me that I have the right to be ironic as a Ukrainian and as a citizen. Finally, do we have to mention the burning issues of corruption, insincerity, treason, and dishonest actions?”
Speaking about Anatolii Melnyk’s exhibit, the art critic Halyna Skliarenko called it an art project about Ukraine: “We have strong feelings about the developments in our country. However, who is to be blamed for our failures? Nobody but we are. The artist used the image of Cossack Mamai since this knight embodies features of the Ukrainian character, the way people see themselves. Glorification and poetry are combined in his paintings with self-irony.”
The offered exhibit “Four Looks outside the Time. Mamaichuky” unites about 50 works synthesizing modern and primitive painting. Large format, scale, and depth. Parallels with Mykola Hohol, Ostap Vyshnia, and Ivan Kotliarevsky. Self-irony in its best traditions. If people can see it, it is very good, if they can laugh at it, the goal of the project is achieved.
The exhibit will be opened for visitors till October 28 in the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
