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Arkhypenko, a Ukrainian-born artist, laid the foundations for oriental cubism in sculpture. An iconic innovator, Arkhypenko experimented with sculptural voids and unusual materials such as clear acrylic and terra cotta.
“It was very interesting to observe how Ukrainians worked with the Archypenko theme. As well as foreigners who came here and saw the places that inspired Archypenko. These are Trypillian culture and landscapes and the Ukrainian-archaic character,” said Daryna Momot, a curator of the Sculpture Symposium.
Vladyslav Volosenko is attuned to these sources of inspiration. The Kyiv-born sculptor spent about half of his adult life in Ukraine. When he turned 20, he dedicated himself to the visual arts. After graduating from the Kyiv State Art Institute in 1991, he moved to Canada where he developed his minimalist style.
“I never do some orders. I am trying to do what I want to do. Because if you don’t do what you want to do, you will do what other people tell you,” Volosenko said.
Ukrainian sculptor Volodymyr Kochmar agrees. The man started thinking of himself as a sculptor in early childhood. As soon as he turned 4. Multicoloured plasticine was the first material the boy got acquainted with. After maturing as an artist, he devised his figurativist technique.
“Symposiums are such a good opportunity for a sculptor to create a work which will immediately connect with the audience. It will be exhibited somewhere in the park. For example, there is my work in the subway in Turkey. And it is seen by millions of people, which passed by,” said Volodymyr Kochmar, the Ukrainian artist.
A sculpture is a form of artistic speech, one that can represent a national culture and heritage.
“These sculptures are ‘fighting’ to make our art understood in the world. And it will be understood. And our people will understand that the ‘glorious spirit of Ukraine shines and lives forever,'” curator Yuliy Synkevych said.
Organizers of this year’s Sculpture Symposium are creating venues to popularize Ukraine’s avant-garde. They’ve also sought to create connections between Ukrainians and foreigners to blossom cross-cultural dialog.
