Belarus- a country of amazing natural beauty. Picturesque landscapes, clean lakes and rivers, healing springs, endless coniferous forests and birch groves, only occasionally interrupted by lonely fields or a whole string of blue lakes, will certainly captivate and inspire everyone who is lucky enough to visit there at least once. The fact that this region is truly fabulously wonderful is once again convinced by looking at landscape painting Belarusian artist Viktor Yushkevich, lovingly capturing these corners of nature on his canvases.

Works by Viktor Yushkevich are in galleries and private collections in Russia, Great Britain, Germany, China, Canada, Israel and Poland. The artist painted more than 3,000 works.

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0023.jpg" alt=""Colors of Autumn."

My Belarus, White Rus'...
The white morning grew purity.
Wherever I am, I strive for you,
You are mine and I am yours forever.

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0004.jpg" alt=""Before the rain."

They call you blue-eyed
Dear Fatherland and mother.
For someone, you are very distant,
It’s easy for me to hug you like that.
(Vadim Antosh-Kozlov)

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0024.jpg" alt=""Bridge by the Pond"

A childhood passion for drawing grew over time into something more, and when his father handed 15-year-old Victor a canvas and professional brushes, the beginner young artist has begun new stage creative life. Unusually beautiful landscapes native land became the main theme of his works. Victor learned step by step to capture the mysterious the world, capture the mood of nature, create the unity of space, air and light. And he did it perfectly.

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0013.jpg" alt=""Forest Road."

For the last two years, 30-year-old Viktor Yushkevich has been exhibiting at art exhibitions in his native Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Denmark, Spain, where his canvases are in great demand and decorate the interiors of apartments of many admirers of his talent.

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0027.jpg" alt=""Morning Forest"

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0030.jpg" alt=""Awakening"." title=""Awakening"." border="0" vspace="5">!}

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/219414315.jpg" alt=""Winter morning."

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0020.jpg" alt=""Spring thaw".

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0002.jpg" alt=""Fog on the Lake."

https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/00-Viktor-YUshkevich-0005.jpg" alt=""Dawn Beam"

Modern Belarusian painting is an extraordinary, interesting phenomenon and, of course, has its fans. The latter will definitely want to visit the “12+” exhibition, which opened in the building of the National Library.

The exhibition arrived in Minsk from the hot expanses of Abu Dhabi, where residents of the UAE were able to experience modern realities Belarusian culture. The exhibition got its name from the number of artists whose works can be seen by viewers. In total, thirty-five works are presented, made in various techniques and differing in genre orientation. Among them there are beautiful landscapes and paintings based on folk tales, expression and riot of color are replaced by decorativeness and expressiveness.

However, for art connoisseurs the exhibition can become a landmark: walking between the hanging paintings, you can clearly see all the innovations that have appeared in Belarusian painting over the past last years, evaluate how traditions smoothly intertwine with newfangled trends and try to trace the development of this type of art.

1. Contemporary Belarusian artists

People's Artist Republic of Belarus Alexander Mikhailovich Kishchenko was born in 1933 in Russia, studied in Ukraine, creative path he was inextricably linked with Belarus, lived in Minsk.

Zhilin Evgeniy Ilyich

Born on March 20, 1939 in Gomel (Belarusian SSR). Father - Ilya Zhilin. Mother - Alevtina Zhilina.

In 1961-1966 he studied at the Minsk Art School.

In 1966-1971 he studied at the Belarusian State Theater and Art Institute. Zhilin's teachers were people's artist Mikhail Savitsky, Anatoly Baranovsky, and people's artist Vitaly Tsvirko.

At the beginning of 1972, the artist took part in the Republican exhibition in Minsk for the first time, however real success and fame came only after his third exhibition, also held in Minsk in 1977. At this exhibition his watercolor works“Dawn”, “Morning in the Village”, “Portrait of an Unknown Woman”, at the same time the artist began his cycle of landscapes “Belarusian Polesie”.

At the same time, his active work in book illustration continued. Of particular interest are his illustrations for children's books.

Since 1974, member of the Belarusian Union of Artists.

Since 1978, Zhilin's works have been presented at the Belarusian State Art Museum.

In 1996-1999, he worked for quite a long time and held exhibitions in Germany at personal exhibitions, including those dedicated to the Chernobyl tragedy.

In Minsk, personal exhibitions were held in the largest Belarusian museums and exhibition halls in 1983, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004.

In 1993 he participated in the creation creative association"Verasen" and was its chairman for a long time.

He took part in organizing charity exhibitions in favor of children victims of the Chernobyl disaster in a number of European countries.

Zhilin's early works can generally be classified as realism. These include such works done in watercolor techniques as the cycle of landscapes “Belarusian Polesie”, a series of lithographs “Landscapes of Minsk”, other landscapes and still lifes.

Since 1989, the artist’s work has gradually turned to a style that is close to expressionism, and the content side can be described as “romantic fantasies.” This includes such things as “The Queen’s Dream” (oil on canvas 1994), “When men gave flowers” ​​(oil on canvas 1994), “Fortune Teller” (oil on canvas 1994).

Nevertheless, his work cannot be attributed to any specific style. If realistic vision is typical for still lifes and landscapes painted in watercolor, then in oil painting the artist uses more wide way conveying your feelings and sensations. Oil painting is characterized by creative experiments carried out by the artist.

Shchemelev Leonid Dmitrievich

Born on February 5, 1923 in Vitebsk. In 1941-1947 during the Great Patriotic War served in the ranks Soviet army. After the end of the war, he entered the Minsk Art School, then the Belarusian State Theater and Art Institute, after which he received a diploma in the specialty “artist-painter”. In 1959-1966. taught drawing, painting and composition at the Minsk Art School, then until May 1974 he worked as a teacher-artist at the Republican boarding school for music and fine arts. From July 1977 to August 1979 he was deputy chairman of the board of the Union of Artists of the BSSR, then until November 1984 he was secretary of the board of the Union of Artists of the BSSR. In 1997 he received the honorary title “Honored Artist of the BSSR”, in 1983 - “People’s Artist of the BSSR”. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree, and in 1985, the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree. In 1993 and 2001 he was awarded the medal and the Order of Francis Skaryna.

For 50 years creative activity the artist was interested and inspired by the most different topics, subjects and images: past and present, history and modernity, motherland and man on this earth, the heroism and unabating pain of the Great Patriotic War, the drama of fratricidal civil war, bright faces of great Russians and Belarusians, captured in the images of A. Pushkin and S. Rachmaninov, V. Mulyavin and V. Korotkevich, I. Repin and M. Bogdanovich, Y. Kupala and Y. Kolas, G. Sviridov and E. Aladova , V. Tsvirko and M. Gusovsky.

The canvases of L.D. Shchemelev, starting with his famous painting “My Birth,” which was highly praised at the 1967 All-Union Exhibition in Moscow, are recognizable in any exhibition, since the artist’s works are not just a reflection of some facts or phenomena, but reasoning about what was seen, experienced, designed to reveal inner essence objects and phenomena. The works of L.D. Shmelev are in largest museums Belarus, Russia and other countries.

In 2003, a named City Hall was opened art Gallery works by L.D. Shchemelev, to which the artist donated 60 paintings.

Vladimir Gusakovsky

He has been painting since 1983.

Studied at the restoration department of Minsk art school, but a special emphasis in the learning process is private lessons from famous teachers, followers of the school of V. Favorsky.

1992 - personal exhibition in Paris - France

1994 - personal exhibition in Germany, Bonn, Berlin

1995 - 1998 - personal exhibition in Belarus, Minsk

1999 - personal exhibition in Russian Federation, Moscow city, showroom"On Kashirka".

His works are in private collections in many countries around the world.

Kostsova Irina Konstantinovna

1996-2002 student of the department of monumental and decorative painting of the Belarusian Art Academy. Student of V. Zinkevich, V. Olshevsky, A. Baranovsky.

2002 received a diploma.

Thesis – “Love Story”. Gesso, tempera. Size 200 x 300 cm.

Since 2004, member of the Youth Union of Artists.

2003-2005 worked in the Creative Workshops of M. A. Savitsky.

During her studies, she took part in student collective exhibitions.

Painting in the Gabrovo cafe

Painting in high school № 11.

A cycle of icons for the Exarchate of Belarus.

The works are in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Minsk. “House of Culture and Technology” in Warsaw, in the embassies of India, Israel, China, Lithuania, as well as in private collections in Belarus, Russia, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Norway, USA, Czech Republic, Israel, India, China, Canada.

Petr Lukyanenko

One of contemporary artists Belarus, working in the field easel painting. The artist’s work is distinguished by its diversity of themes and genres, as well as a variety of techniques and manner of execution.

In journalistic paintings, the artist reflects important socio-economic and political aspects of a particular historical period. Journalistic works of the 80s illustrate the deep contrast between official ideology and real life. They talk about dramatic moments Soviet history and encourage you to remember these lessons forever.

In his later journalistic works, the artist comprehends the dramatic changes taking place in post-Soviet countries since the early 90s. The habitual way of life of millions of people, which existed for decades and seemed unshakable, collapsed in an instant. Ideals and values ​​were rethought. Something has changed, but something remains the same under new signs.

Conceptual paintings address more universal issues that have been relevant throughout various historical eras. In laconic symbols of philosophical works, the artist expresses his vision of the fundamental concepts of our world.

In other conceptual works he creates his own imaginary worlds. They encourage viewers to think about the relationship between men and women, beauty, art and many other components of human life.

Petr Lukyanenko also works in the genres of portrait, landscape and still life. The artist sensitively captures the beauty of the surrounding world and shows it to the viewer. In this case, it is not necessary to create a copy of what you saw on canvas. The main thing is to convey the feelings that arose during perception.

The artist himself considers any classification visual arts convention. In his work, he does not strive to meet the requirements of any style or direction of painting, but expresses his thoughts using the most suitable visual means.

IN old times When the artist set up his easel somewhere in the corner to paint a picture of the market square, he was looked at as a stranger with curiosity, fear and, perhaps, surprise. After all, an outsider could only contemplate the object, but not manipulate it. Except for those situations when the artist literally, that is, physically, stood in someone's way, he did not mix in any way with the life around him. People did not have the feeling that they were being spied on or watched, unless, of course, they happened to be on the bench in front of the artist at that moment; after all, it was obvious to everyone that the artist was not interested in current events, but in something completely different. Only the momentary is personal, and the artist directly observed what this moment it wasn't because it was always there. Painting has never exposed anyone." (The article can be read on the "old" "Photoscope")

This idea must always be remembered, especially all “photo-based artists” need to realize this. A photograph that has been manipulated in one way or another no longer works as a photograph, as a mirror of the real...

Surprisingly, we can reflect on the work of Van Gogh, discuss the impressionism of Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, argue about the popularity of “La Gioconda” by da Vinci and “ Sistine Madonna"Raphael and at the same time know almost nothing about Belarusian artists. By the way, many people from Belarus are on the list of the most famous masters of the world. Their works are as surprising, inspiring, and sometimes shocking as anyone else’s.

"Portrait of a Wife with Flowers and Fruit", 1838

Khrutsky is considered the founder of Russian still life. As a seventeen-year-old boy, he, the son of a Uniate priest, a student at a religious lyceum, went alone to St. Petersburg to take up drawing. And, apparently, not in vain. Khrutsky managed to develop his talent so much that in the twentieth century his still lifes were in almost every home. Not originals, of course, copies - most people could not afford real paintings. You and I observe Khrutsky’s work every day - the Russian thousandth banknote is decorated with a fragment of Khrutsky’s painting “Portrait of a Wife with Flowers and Fruits.” The artist's most famous painting depicts a young woman at a table filled with baskets of fruit, a decanter of water and a bouquet in a ceramic vase.

Art project “Fragments of the Tower of Babel”

Laureate State Prize Belarus and the head of the Center for Contemporary Arts Viktor Olshevsky today exhibits abroad more often than in Belarus. Victor's works, which are distinguished by deep symbolism and figurativeness, are in galleries and private collections in Belarus, Italy, Germany, Israel, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, France, Turkey and other countries. And his famous project “Fragments of the Tower of Babel” generally managed to travel halfway around the world: New York, Berlin, Budapest, Gdansk... The project consists of 13 canvases - 13 fragments of the Tower of Babel, which display elements of the cultures of the peoples of the world: Ancient Egypt and China, Iran and Cambodia, Mayan pyramids and Kremlin chimes, Polish Warsaw and the Belarusian World.

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) “Above the City”, 1914

Chagall is often called a Frenchman because they simply cannot believe that such an artist - avant-garde, innovative, emotional and fantastically talented - could be born in a small and far from well-known Belarus. A native of Vitebsk literally conquered the world with his unusual landscapes, portraits and genre compositions. It’s interesting that almost every stroke on Chagall’s canvas or paper is about love. About love for his tender and dear wife and muse Bella. The artist’s main feature is the figures of him and Bella, and sometimes other people, who fly in the paintings, ignoring all the laws of gravity and physics. Of the most famous works artist - “Above the City”. Small houses, tilted boards, everyday scenes...And lovers whose flight is not hindered by any prosaic nature of life.

Andrey Smolyak (born in 1954). Project “Living Pictures”, 2010

Artist famous master not only brushes, but also shocking. The idea of ​​his popular project “Live Paintings,” which began three years ago, is the desire to unite famous, talented and honored people of Belarus through the art of painting. The essence of the project is that politicians and artists, poets and businessmen, directors and athletes “try on” the images of the heroes of the artist’s works. Smolyak’s paintings have already included singer Larisa Gribaleva and actress Vera Polyakova, tennis player Maxim Mirny and biathlete Daria Domracheva, National artist Anatoly Yarmolenko and many others. The artist’s works are today in public and private collections in Belarus, as well as in France, Italy, the USA, Belgium, Russia and Holland.

Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935) “Black Square”, 1915

A great artist, an avant-garde artist who changed the world and predicted the future of architectural buildings, the father of Suprematism, the creator of the Futurist theater, an “artist-philosopher” - something like this can be read about Malevich in any paper or electronic encyclopedia. And one more obligatory addition to all the artist’s regalia is the author of the famous “Black Square”. According to the artist himself, he painted the picture for several months. Someone jokes that the artist simply did not have time to finish the painting on time and covered it with black paint. However, art experts see deep meaning in the painting. philosophical meaning. Subsequently, Malevich made several copies of “Black Square” (according to some sources, seven). Malevich also painted the paintings “Red Square” in two copies and one “ White square».

Chaim Soutine (1893-1943) "Meat Carcass", circa 1923

The tenth child in a poor Jewish family from a small Belarusian village Smilovichi, Chaim had an irresistible desire to draw since childhood, although this was forbidden to the Jews. Despite the obstacles, he gradually achieved his goal: first he studied in private school Jacob Kruger, then studied for three years in Vilnius. And finally Paris! Years of suffering, fermentation, hunger, disease... It was worth it for the whole world to talk about Soutine, for his expressive, crazy, hurricane-like paintings to be measured at auction in millions of dollars. For example, at the recent May auction of Christie's, his painting “The Little Confectioner” went under the hammer for $18 million! And among the happy owners of his works were Isabella Rossellini, the Chaplin family, the publisher Gallimard, the descendants of Chagall, Francis Ford Coppola... Lee not the most famous painting The artist can be considered an expressive “Meat Carcass”, depicted in the twenties of the last century.

There are more than a thousand people in the Belarusian Union of Artists. Whose creativity is worth paying attention to? Special attention? We asked art critic Nadezhda Usova and exhibition curator Anna Karpenko to choose five modern domestic artists that every Belarusian should know.

“Every art critic has not 5, but 25 favorite artists,” says Nadezhda Usova. In choosing the five, she excluded her artist friends (“I’m partial to them”), as well as the younger generation experimenting with the form.

— I don’t undertake to evaluate it, because, as it seems to me, this takes time. The generation of 30-year-olds is capable of creating masterpieces (Theodore Gericault wrote “The Raft of the Medusa” at the age of 28!), and perhaps their contemporaries should know them. But they count chickens in the fall... In my opinion, this top five should include mature artists, who have something to say, whose works, it seems to me, should end up in museums in Belarus. Therefore, the approach is exclusively subjective: an artistic phenomenon.

Who? Alexander Solovyov, painter, theater artist

“The patriarch of the Belarusian avant-garde,” at the height of Soviet stagnation, turned to abstractionism and created unique color meditations.

Why? A unique personality, the patriarch of the Belarusian avant-garde, a real phenomenon, has not yet been fully appreciated, although he received honorary titles and the Francis Skaryna medal. He is 91 years old. Former partisan, front-line soldier, graduated from the Mukhinsky School, Theater and Art Institute in Minsk.

Alexander Solovyov, “White Harmony”. Source: news.vitebsk.cc Alexander Solovyov, “Still Life”. Source: news.vitebsk.cc

In 1965, Soloviev came to Vitebsk, where long years worked as a production designer, later as the chief artist of the Yakub Kolas Theater. Once this group went on tour to Moscow and its decorations, like the works of Lev Bakst, were given a standing ovation immediately after the curtain rose. In the 1970s, at the height of Soviet stagnation, he turned to abstract art and began to create amazing philosophical imagery and color saturation things—a kind of color meditation—and display them. In the late 1970s, of course, I heard nothing but insults and swearing addressed to me. The exhibitions were closed, and he was surprised: what kind of subversion of ideology is found in his canvas-spaces?

Despite everything, he found an audience. And not 50 years after death, as the artist himself believed, but during his lifetime. In 2016, he donated dozens of his works to the National Art Museum in Minsk, which were shown there in a personal exhibition. I think that soon his works will be the decoration and dream of any museum.

Lyudmila Kalmaeva, painter and graphic artist

Why? For originality of thinking and amazing skill, creative diversity. She has an inexhaustible force of vitality, originality, an amazing flair for modernity, and a natural Europeanness. And not because she has lived in Holland for many years (her late husband is Dutch). Lyudmila Kalmaeva, in my opinion, is also a phenomenon Belarusian artist, freely molded into one form or another. More and more often she appears and holds exhibitions in Minsk.

Fantasy painting by Lyudmila Kalmaeva. Source: kalmaeva.weebly.com

Graphics by Lyudmila Kalmaeva. Source: kalmaeva.weebly.com
From the series “Plenty to go on”. Source: kalmaeva.weebly.com From the series “Plenty to go on”. Source: kalmaeva.weebly.com

Her theatrical posters of the 1980s became classics that influenced Belarusian posters in the second half of the 20th century. Many of them entered the apartments of the intelligentsia and students and were fashionable and meaningful interior decorations. She then grasped some codes of Belarusianness and was able to symbolize them figuratively. Kalmaeva is a generator of crazy ideas. She is always interesting, unpredictable, both as an observant blogger, and as an analyst, and as a teacher, and a realistic portrait painter, and as a graphic artist. From the scandalous "toilet series" - artistic banter, which they did not dare to exhibit in Belarus (but the Chinese willingly bought), to the amazing "nudes" - nude series. Usually we get used to the fact that an artist has been working in one direction for many years; he can be recognized by his handwriting. She breaks the usual ideas and always surprises. Lyudmila Kalmaeva has a clear position, special look. This makes you fall in love, surprises, delights, and inspires respect.

Who? Andrey Vorobyov, sculptor

Why? Andrey Vorobyov has attracted attention for a long time. One might think that this is the reincarnation of his own teacher - Vladimir Zhbanov - in the Mogilev urban environment (the sculptor lives in Mogilev. - Note TUT.BY). But this is absolutely not true.

I like that he is an inventor, a dreamer, a patriot of his city, and cares for his native Mogilev. And he is different. On the one hand, he can take a creative approach to an official order - he is the author famous monument- “Shklov cucumber” - and the monumental “Mogilev Lions” on the bridge over the Dnieper. On the other hand, he has chamber philosophical sculptures with original fluid plasticity that make you think about the meanings of life.

"Shklov cucumber" Photo: Anzhelika Vasilevskaya, TUT.BY

This is an ironic, grotesque, intriguing sculptor. He tries to avoid pathos, although there are such works. It's always interesting to watch him. Andrey Vorobyov is the author of incredible phantasmagoric ideas and projects. For example, I wanted to build a tunnel near art museum named after Maslenikov. An adult can enter the tunnel on one side, but will not be able to go through it, because on the other side the entrance to the tunnel is in the form of a child’s body. Vorobiev’s conceptual objects claim to become the highlight of the city, an example artistic formation urban environment, including tourism.

Who? Vyacheslav Pavlovets, watercolorist

He works in watercolor technique, which “in its laconicism and emotional spontaneity can be compared with Japanese ones.” Creates unique Belarusian watercolor haiku.

Why? A tuning fork of absolute taste and skill in modern Belarusian watercolors. He managed to formulate the Belarusian landscape, turning it into a pure aesthetic phenomenon. Vyacheslav Pavlovets is very humble person, works in the magazine “Mastatstva” as an art editor. Under him, the magazine acquired a stylish European look.

With this workload, he manages to create landscapes using watercolor techniques that are surprisingly Belarusian in mood and character, which can be compared with Japanese ones in their laconicism and emotional spontaneity. This is a kind of Belarusian haiku. In these watercolors we can hear the melody of our country from a side from which it has not yet been considered. They are absolutely harmonious and absolutely Belarusian. Pavlovets, one might say, glorified and elevated the Belarusian sunless “gray day” to a poetic metaphor. His works touch the soul. This, I’m not afraid to say, is pure poetry in watercolor.

"Tree". From the archives of the National Art Museum

Now, unlike Europe, watercolor is unpopular here: few people understand and appreciate the sophistication of this technique. Many born graphic artists betray themselves and go into painting, which is better in demand on the art market. Vyacheslav Pavlovets is one of the keepers of tradition, several masters who keep high level Belarusian watercolor school.

Pavel Tatarnikov, illustrator

"A unique talent in the field of European book illustration”, which is sought and found by publishers from all over the world.

Why? One appearance books with his romantic illustrations make you want to study Belarusian history. I would really like to see his illustrations in textbooks on the history of Belarus for junior classes. He is a romantic, a technical virtuoso, and, of course, a meticulous researcher.

These qualities brought him fame and prestigious awards at book competitions both in Belarus and throughout the world: Japanese publishers wanted to completely buy out the rights to the illustrations for the book “The Princess in underground kingdom", a Taiwanese publisher invited him (a Belarusian!) to design the book of the Chinese epic "The Heavenly Emperor and the Ten Suns", based on his illustrations puppet show « The Snow Queen"in Copenhagen, the priests of a small Italian village in the Alps entrusted him with an unusual commission - the creation of a book dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the village. And the artist lived in that village for several days, listened to memories, searched in the archives for what the local landscape and architecture looked like several centuries ago.

"Paranoia." Source: tatarnikov.com
"Clean streets". Source: tatarnikov.com
“Garodnya. 1601". Source: tatarnikov.com

In fact, there are not many illustrators in the world, and Tatarnikov is one of the best. He is found and sought out by publishers all over the world. Now he can choose what interests him. It’s great that he teaches in Minsk, associate professor at the Academy of Arts. There is someone to learn skills from and, most importantly, attitude to work.

Exhibition curator Anna Karpenko warns: her opinion most likely will not coincide with the mainstream, “but in the context of our time it is very important to know the names of these artists.”

Who? Zhanna Gladko

Managed to show how personal trauma shows the distribution of power both within the family and at the societal level.

Why? Zhanna does big, serious projects. Works with sensitive social and gender topics. Unfortunately, she still has not had a personal exhibition in Belarus.

I love her absolutely amazing project, very personal, connected to her own history of relationships with her father. It reveals an interesting strategy. On the one hand, the artist exposes painful, intimate themes associated, for example, with the episode when her father dismantled her favorite piano, which was very important to Jeanne. Understandably, this was traumatic for her.

Zhanna Gladko, series “Not Alain Delon”, the series includes self-portraits of the artist in the form of Alain Delon, group exhibition QAI/by, gallery contemporary art“Ў”, Minsk, 2016
Zhanna Gladko, series of self-portraits, group exhibition XXY, Gallery of Contemporary Art “Ў”, Minsk, 2014

On the other hand, through personal stories and the history of her family, the artist shows important gender connections in social level: how classic patriarchal relationships are distributed in society, when the father - such a Freudian figure - not only manages material processes, controls the flow of money in the family, but also has an important symbolic status. Without interfering in Jeanne's life, his actions indirectly influence her worldview. This is a story about how personal trauma reveals the distribution of power both within the family and at the societal level.

Who? Masha Svyatogor

Why? Masha works in interesting technology photo collage. Works with personal history, and with family archives.

Not so long ago, Masha had a personal exhibition at the Central Exhibition Center, which was called “Kurasoushchyna - my love.” This is an excellent example of how one of the districts of Minsk, and not the most prestigious one, can become an object of aesthetic attraction. She also has a series of stunning collages, from which she makes a tongue-in-cheek art history project. She takes pictures of the model and substitutes faces from famous classical paintings for her.