I wish I could fly

To The Artworks

solo exhibition of graphics by Oleg Denysenko

22 September - 05 October 2021

Opening – Wednesday, 22 September 2021 г., 6:30 PMG in Hall 2 of Largo Art Gallery

On September 22, 2021 at 18:30 in Hall 2 of Largo Art Gallery will open a solo exhibition-graphics of Ukrainian artist Oleg Denysenko - winner of the third edition of the International Exlibris Competition Varna in 2018. The exhibition is part of the accompanying program of this years edition of the competition, which this time is realized with the financial support of the Municipality of Varna through the Culture Fund.

The exhibition includes 35 works by the artist from the last 12 years. The graphics are filled with the classic techniques of intaglio printing - etching and drypoint. Denysenko is well known to the Bulgarian public. In his rich creative biography of over 65 solo exhibitions, 10 have been held in Bulgaria - in the city art galleries in Stara Zagora, Shumen, Vidin, Radnevo, Nova Zagora, Razgrad, Dimitrovgrad, in the Festival and Congress Center Varna (2006) and in the National library in Sofia (2009).

The winner of the third International ExLibris Competition Varna 2018 is a graduate of the Ukrainian Academy of Printing with a degree in Graphics. He also works in the field of painting and sculpture, but his great passion is graphics. In an interview, he stated: "Whatever I do, Graphics remains a mother and a beloved woman for me! It would be uninteresting for me to live without her ... ”

Denysenko has an extremely characteristic, recognizable style, built in the years since 1992 (when his solo performances started), thanks not only to his brilliant graphic technique, but mostly thanks to the typical characters he creates in his works. His characters are knights or saints, kings or philosophers, hunters or musicians, we will see beggars and dreamers, winged heroes or heroes with clipped wings. The Ukrainian shares about his work: “All the topics I touch on in my work are eternal and therefore modern. At the center is always a man with his constant problems for many millennials. All this applies to the philosophy and psychology of human existence. And that's an integral part of art. "

Wide worldview, exceptional erudition, tireless curiosity are the qualities that help Denysenko in the creation of his works. From his youth he was fascinated by history and archeology, which influenced him greatly in the construction of images and stories in his works. In an interview, the artist shares: "The basis of my work is the classical cultural heritage. I rely on it and try to keep the tradition as much as possible, interpreting classic plots .... But the main thing in art is the high-quality intellectual product. It must be real and interesting. Combining a strong idea and perfect execution is the real art for me. ”

Denysenko defines the genre in which he works as historical surrealism or "new antiquity". Indeed, viewers in this exhibition will see classic themes that have aroused the interest of artists since antiquity - the theme of the four elements in the works of the same name "TERRA", "AER", "AQUA", "IGNIS", the theme of self-sacrifice in "Red Wine", for the struggle of the saints with their demons in “St. George”and “St. Michael”, the eternal struggle between matter and spirit in “Body and Soul”, the theme of man's endless striving for the unknown and the unattainable in “I wished I could fly”. In the etchings of the Ukrainian, created in an inimitable surreal style, we will find characters that seem to have come out of the artist's dreams. But the credit for Denysenko's magical surreal imagery goes mostly to his imagination: “I always try to achieve a special state in my works. This is where the interaction of purely technical techniques with the imagination in thinking comes into play. The latter plays a key role for me. After all, the most important thing in art, in my opinion, is the creation of an image, which is greatly facilitated by the impeccable mastery of technical skills. "

We are expecting you at the opening of the exhibition on September 22, 2021, from 18:30 in Hall 2 of Largo Art Gallery, Varna, 8 Han Krum Str. The exhibition lasts until October 5, 2021.