Petrykivka Painting in Chicago: Touch the Soul of Ukraine

Probably, even people not very familiar with the world of art know the term "Petrykivka painting." If you show them at least one work done in this style, they will surely say: we know, we've seen, we've heard. Of course! This unique type of Ukrainian decorative and applied art has long been known far beyond the borders of Ukraine, and in 2013 it was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. It got its name from the place of origin – the village of Petrykivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Historical sources indicate that individual items with Petrykivka painting patterns have been preserved since the 18th century, but in the modern sense, this direction formed at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century. It all started with people's desire to cover the walls (both interior and exterior) of their modest homes with bright patterns and amazing plots that testified to the unity of man with nature. From there, we see whimsical plants, original flowers, fantastic birds – up to the mythical firebird, which delight the eye with colors, line curves, and incredibly beautiful ornaments. Soon, they "moved" from the walls to stoves, furniture, chests, dishes, and other household items, and simply to paper, turning into wonderful paintings. The main colors used – red, yellow, green, and blue – testified to the power of life, the beauty of life, love, the life-giving energy of the sun, the joy of a bountiful harvest, peace, and beauty given to man by nature.

The original plots were so liked by the masters of Petrykivka painting that they began to add images of people, demonstrating their feelings; the hero of many plots became Cossack Mamai – a hero of Ukrainian folklore, who was a symbol of the Ukrainian character, freedom-loving nature, and deep spirituality of the people; later, Petrykivka was also used in icon painting and in decorating chapels and church buildings.

Thus, today many places can recognize the elements characteristic of Petrykivka painting, such as "zerniatko," "hrebynets," "horishok," "perekhidnyi mazok." For their execution, mega-simple but truly unique tools are used: "koshachka" (a brush made from cat hair, trimmed from the chest or under the paw of a cat, which, for the attention of animal rights activists, leaves the animals absolutely healthy and unharmed); "rogozynka" – a thin tube from a cattail stem; various improvised materials – leaves, tree shoots, pieces of vegetables, and quite often even one's own fingers, as the touch of a painted fingertip to the base of a future painting perfectly creates berries, clusters of viburnum, or flower petals.

Probably, one can talk about this topic and admire it endlessly. The result of the work of Petrykivka painting masters is truly impressive: incredible paintings, incredible plots, and behind them – incredible work, refined, filigree, performed not just with hands, but, without exaggeration, with the soul.

And how pleasant it is that interested people of the Ukrainian community in Chicago could see and hear about all this: an amazing exhibition of amazing works by Ukrainian Petrykivka painting master Halyna Nazarenko took place here.

So, more about her, about the artist who is one of the most active and well-known contemporary Petrykivka masters, who promotes Ukrainian art both in Ukraine and far beyond its borders. Ms. Halyna was born and lives right there, in Petrykivka. She wanted to draw from an early age (grateful to her mother, who supported her interest in creativity) and almost immediately felt drawn to Petrykivka, which she saw around, fell in love with, and was inspired by. She studied at a children's art school, where her teacher was the famous master Fedir Panko, later at the Myrhorod Ceramic Technical School. She worked at the Experimental Workshop of Petrykivka Painting, later renamed the Center of Folk Art "Petrykivka." And then she decided to go on, so to speak, a free creative "voyage" (here she is grateful for the support of her husband and family).

More than three decades of creative activity by Halyna Nazarenko – these are thousands of artworks on paper and canvas, on wood and ceramics, painted churches, chapels, large-scale decorative and interior murals. The master presented her works in over 70 group and 35 personal exhibitions in Ukraine (the first was in Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv) and abroad. They were exhibited in the USA, Canada, China, Japan, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries. Her works are kept in museum and private collections worldwide. Halyna Nazarenko is a member of the National Union of Folk Art Masters of Ukraine, the Association of Artists of Marseille (France), and the Association of Folk Artists of Ukraine.

Now in Halyna Nazarenko's creative fate, there are her floral compositions, scenes of Ukrainian rural life, painted icons, the legendary figure of Cossack Mamai, wedding processions, and fantastic and mythical birds. You look and can't stop wondering: how can imagination produce something like this, where do the plots come from?

It was with such questions, looking at the paintings, that visitors approached the artist at the exhibition "Petrykivka – the Soul of Ukraine," which was held for the first time in Chicago. The exhibition was initiated by the well-known artist Olena Dyadenko – together with Ms. Halyna, they studied at the Myrhorod Technical School of Artistic Ceramics. The 36th branch of the Union of Ukrainian Women contributed organizationally to the exhibition. And the exposition – almost a hundred works – was placed in the spacious hall of the Ukrainian National Museum.

The opening of the exhibition (last Friday, October 9) turned into a small celebration of great Ukrainian culture. The museum's executive director, Dr. Iryna Voloshyna, conducted a brief excursion into the history of the emergence of Petrykivka painting, creative people from our community – young violinist Yulia Perehozhuk (accompaniment – Oksana Pidruchna), vocalists Khrystyna Musiy and Vira Boychuk – complemented the meeting with wonderful works of Ukrainian content and sound, and visitors did not hide their admiration for Halyna Nazarenko's works, each of which testified to the beauty and soul of Ukraine.

Colorful, executed with bright paints, they can today serve as a kind of art therapy when there are so many heavy thoughts about the fate of the native land in our minds. And these works testify to the power of life and the victory of life. Like hundreds of Petrykivka-painted angels that Ms. Halyna sends through volunteers to the boys on the front line. To become a prayer for them. To protect. To avert death. And her "Mamai in Poppies" even ended up near Bakhmut: after an exhibition in France, in the city of Morestel, she sent this painting to their friend blogger Yuriy Fomenko, who had been in the combat zone since 2014. He wrote to Halyna: as long as Mamai was on the wall of our checkpoint, we did not have a single fallen comrade...

She herself is from there (and will return there these days), where war rages around. Where even young grandchildren, listening to the sounds, already distinguish what is flying. And then only one thought: God, save...

She says: it will be hardest when, due to the danger of enemy strikes, she has to leave her home. There is a house decorated and adorned with Petrykivka. There are more than three hundred rose bushes. There is land that inspires. And which is the best in the world. She shows this to the world with her foreign exhibitions, thus becoming an ambassador of artistic diplomacy. Therefore, the artist is always happy when not only Ukrainians but also representatives of other nations and ethnicities come to see her works and communicate with her. As was the case in Chicago.

Moreover, Halyna Nazarenko has already held two workshops here, where anyone could try their hand at Petrykivka painting (by the way, the third workshop will take place on October 25 from 4 to 7 PM at the "Magic Jug" restaurant; registration by phone 773-719-7403). And among the exhibition visitors, there were those who wanted to purchase a favorite painting for themselves.

And you, reader, have a chance to see the unique works of Halyna Nazarenko: the exhibition runs until October 22 (Ukrainian National Museum, 2249 W Superior St., Chicago). My advice to you: come, touch the soul of Ukraine, and, I have no doubt, you will feel its touch in return.