UKRAINE’S  RELIGIOUS THEMES FAVORITE ARTIST

Two distinguished painters from the Ukraine captured my attention and interest. German Gold, the Judaic Art Master par excellence and Konstantin Pavlishin the Christian Modern Classicism Art Leader in Eastern Europe. Finally, I have the opportunity and the time to write a piece on Pavlishin. There are several traits of distinction in the artistic technique of Pavlishin. The most predominant one is perfection in and for details, especially in the most intimate and truthful facial expressions. When you look at distance at this very large painting “Jesus on the Cross”. You are looking at an imposing fresco on linen.

It will attract your attention for a while, and short after, you nod your head telling yourself “an other old classical piece”. But, if you come closer, you will stay longer than you expect it. You will spend some time looking at this marvelous work; The faces…The expressions on the faces will hold you, will retain you and might lead you to ask yourself some questions about the details mastery that depicted times and figures we do not encounter any more in our modern time. Where and how did Pavlishin find those faces? How did he know about those most realistic expressions of fear, anxiety, sorrow, helpfulness, despair and piety of his personages? Is it inspiration? A religious fervor? An imagination? Copying other masters? Or what? You have to think. And you begin to think upon looking at a painting as de La Croix once explained, you become involved with the painting you are looking at, admiring it maybe or exploring, most likely. And in doing so, the art becomes to life and begin to talk to you. This what makes art, real art. Better, this what makes art, human, intelligent, real and beyond you.” You have this feeling when you are in the presence or before Pavlishin’s art! I admire his mesmerizing and religiously rebellious talent! In this genre, he is unique.

Pavlishin mastered the technique and finesse of details. In that sense, he is truthful to the classical tradition.  My teacher de La Croix wrote this about this fine Ukrainian artist:” Pavlishin reinvented a scenery scenario by placing his personages and moving them around like shadows of light you are chasing for no reasons. Yet, you keep on following those shadows and you never stop even for one second to wonder and question yourself what are you doing. By then, a long long time slipped away and you didn’t know it. This is the beauty of art. This is the magic of art. Before a real piece of art, there is no more time. There is no more space. There is YOU and the Painting, and nothing else, and nobody else. You might experience this feeling if you are nearby  Pavlishin’s paintings”.

Pavlishin’s art has this quality.

Essay by Valerie Lambert de La Salle_____________

  BIOGRAPHY by Margerie Blanchard

 Pavlishin was born on 30 of October 1975 in Kiev in the family of educated people. He spent his childhood in Lviv, and the adjacent region; partially he was forced to live there. He did badly at school. Soviet school system is to be blamed for that. The soviet schools used to be a kind of total production line with little possibility to develop individually. The boy always had his own point of view and his own perception and was often being laughed at for that. But he constantly developed himself, at home, using the rich collection of books of his parents. He found answers to lots of questions in those books. He was excluded from pioneer organization at 5th form and later he was expelled from the school. His parents were desperate, it meant that he was very unlikely to enter institute being excluded from the pioneers. His only hobby was painting. He started painting from the very childhood; moreover most books from his parents' library were on fine art.

There were no artists in Pavlishin family and his mother hoped that her son would become either doctor (mother was a surgeon) or geologist (as his father's relatives). But the hopes of his parents were betrayed and Kostantin Pavlishin entered the School of Arts. He passed the exams with grade "excellent". It was his last chance to become a "normal person" as viewed in those times. During his studies, a lot of change occurred, first the Soviet Union disintegrated and the wind of democracy appeared. Kostantin's mother died when he was still at school. In those years he got his first recognition medal for competition he took part in. The Catholic Church was renewed then and he got one of his first orders exactly from the church (by the way he was baptized secretly due to soviet persecutions when a child). He lived with his father in Kiev then. In 1993 he entered National Academy of Arts and Architecture in Kiev.

Konstantin Pavlishin confesses that it was quite difficult to enter the Academy, as the academic background received in art school was quite weak. Then, from his own words, there was a meeting in his life that changed it completely. He met his first real teacher Yudenko Ivana. He met professor Chekanyuk Vilep in the workshop of Yudenko and he continued his studies already with that professor. During his studies in Academy he took part in All-Ukrainian exhibitions, he also hold his personal exhibition.

He made a successful presentation of his final thesis work "World creation" and was accepted to the post-graduate courses. He continues his post graduate studies now under the supervision of professor Oleksei Kozhenov and at the same time gives lecture to the students of Academy on technology of art.

BIO SUBMITTED BY Margerie Blanchard.