An exhibition of works by Valentina Lyakhovich has opened in the exhibition hall of the Vitebsk Center for Modern Art
In the exhibition hall of the Vitebsk Center for Contemporary Art (Beloborodov St., 2), an exhibition of works by Valentina Lyakhovich titled "Rodnya" has opened.
As the author explained, this exhibition is part of a larger project with the same title. In addition to the artist herself, her extended family is participating in it. The day before, photographs of her nephew Vasily Okunev were shown in the music lounge, and the current exhibition features works by her daughter, artist Irina Kuznetsova, and her grandchildren, who made drawings at their grandmother's request. They live in Spain and, unfortunately, could not attend the opening, but those who came to the exhibition hall saw a video performance by Irina, revealing her creative credo.
– We all come from a family, a lineage. Relatives are people close to us by blood and spirit. I wanted not only to introduce viewers to my relatives, each of whom is interesting in his own way, but also to emphasize that we are all one big family on this planet and we need to stick together, – said the artist.
This idea permeates many of her works. In particular,
"House on the Edge of the Galaxy". The background for the painting is a map of the night sky, on which the window of a Vitebsk high-rise building glows. Other works are also dedicated to the theme of space. For example, the artist placed sculptures of her workshop neighbor Alexander Slepov on Mars and made them long for Earth.Valentina Lyakhovich's imagination and energy surprise everyone familiar with her work, including her peers. Her creations cannot be copied or replicated, not even by the artist herself, as they are born from impulse and the soul's calling. Furthermore, the artist constantly invents new techniques, employing methods and materials seemingly distant from fine art. She incorporates pieces of foam plastic, old mirrors, porcelain trinkets, and other items that hold no value for ordinary people into her paintings and spatial objects. Yet, in Valentina Lyakhovich's hands, this "trash" transforms into a part of an artwork. For instance, on the painting
"Eternal Problem", two glass hemispheres, which were almost discarded with other junk from the exhibition hall, became the eyes.The artist has developed a unique style based on layering of images and achieved near perfection in the color solutions of her works, yet she continues to surprise. It turns out she seeks novelty not only within her own creative process but also engages people, often those far removed from art, in this endeavor.
The next exhibition of the project
"Relatives" is scheduled for February 2014, featuring new names united into one artistic family by Valentina Lyakhovich.Tatyana Pasternak, "Vitebskiye Vesti"