Today is the birthday of an amazing 🇺🇦 artist Oleksandra Exter (1882-1949). But many famous museums where her works are, still consider her russіаn. 🧵A thread about her life and art, please do share it, and don't forget to write to the museums.

Exter was born in Bialystok, Poland, in a Jewish family. When she was three years old, the family moved to Kyiv. Here she received an art education. She studied at the drawing school with Oleksandr Bogomazov, Oleksandr Arkhipenko, Aristarkh Lentulov, Yevhenia Prybylska.

115 years ago Maria Prymachenko was born. Truly a genius of Ukrainian art. You've probably seen her artwork. But let's talk about some myths about Prymachenko and why they are untrue. A thread 🧵

"Our army, our defenders", 1978 ❌She was uneducated and had no art education ✅ She studied for four years in the school, which was typical for peasants. She had no academic art education, but her mum taught her embroidery and 🇺🇦 traditional art. In Kyiv she graduated from Masters of Folk Art School.

Today is the Day of commemoration of participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chornobyl catastrophe. As you know my main research is the Image of Chornobyl catastrophe in Ukrainian art. And here is a thread with some works.

4th Block by Maria Prymachenko The heroism of the liquidators was one of the allowed topics in the Soviet period. It was not possible to officially talk about the consequences or the loss of the home. But also only a few photographers could work there. Here is Yurii Kosyn

Today is the birthday of the great Ukrainian artist – Kateryna Bilokur (1900-1961). She could have been more recognized during her lifetime, but she wasn't because she was a woman, a peasant, and created not social realism. But now we can celebrate her art as she deserves.🧵

Kateryna Bilokur became famous for her flowers. She survived famine, and war and lived poorly. Sometimes she had nothing to warm the house with. But the worst thing was that for almost 30 years Kateryna was forbidden to paint. Her family was against it, because it's not for women

Today in 1970 Ukrainian artist and civil rights activist Alla Horska was killed by the KGB. She lived only for 40 years but did a lot for Ukrainian culture. A thread 🧵 about her life and art. I would appreciate it if you share this amazing art.

Alla came to her Ukrainianness at a mature age. She was born in Yalta in a Russian-speaking family. Her father worked in management positions at various film studios. Alla had no problems with admission to the art institute in Kyiv.
Sketch of Mosaic Panel Work “Flag of Victory”

Until this social media is alive, I'd love to share with you the art and story of an amazing 🇺🇦artist – Vasyl Krychevsky (1873-1952). He was also an architect, designer, and professor. Most of this work was shared with me by his granddaughter @olindek . So, big thread🧵 He was born in Lebedyn and early showed his talent for architecture. From the age of 15, Krychevsky was designing residential buildings, and from the age of 19, he worked with famous architects in Kharkiv - Alfred Stiglitz and Oleksiy Beketov.

Sofia Levytska (1874-1937) is a Ukrainian artist and graphic. She was born near Proskuriv (now Khmelnytsky). In 1905 she moved to Paris. Her life wasn't very happy. Thread about being a woman and an artist at the same time. She graduated from Art School in Zhytomyr. When Sofia was 19, she married a local doctor, but he abused alcohol and often hurt Sofia. She gave birth to a girl. Olha, but she was mentally disabled. Of course, her husband said that was Sofia's fault.

On days like this, I feel very tired of disproving myths about Ukrainian art (sometimes not just for foreigners, but also for Ukrainians). So, I decided to make short answers for wrong but common statements about 🇺🇦 art 🧵

"Saturday," Oleksandr Murashko (1875-1919) 1. Ukrainian art is very "young."

That is not true because Ukrainian culture didn't appear in 1991. Don't want to give a lecture about 🇺🇦 history, but if someone said that, remember Scythian gold (VII—III B.C.) and mosaics in St.Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (c.1030)

Today was born one of my favorite 🇺🇦 artists Fedir Krychevksy. He developed the style of Ukrainian modernism. Krychevsky was popular in Europe. But of course, the soviet occupation destroyed his life and killed him. Big 🧵about my love in 🇺🇦 art. He was born in 1879 in Lebedyn, Sumy region. The family had eight children: the eldest was Vasyl, a future outstanding 🇺🇦artist, graphic designer, and architect. He was interested in art since he was a kid. So in 1896, he went to study in Moscow.

Today is the birthday of Roman Selsky (1903-1990). He was a modernist artist and teacher, who taught generations of Ukrainian artists. He somehow saved his unique style even during soviet repressions and censorship. 🧵about him.

"Deer on the Forest Edge", 1972 He was born in Sokal, Lviv region, in the family of a lawyer and a translator. He grows up with knowledge of foreign languages, music, and the basics of fine arts. His aunt Lucinia was an artist too. Later, the family moves to Lviv.

"The Door", 1932

Let's talk about labels in museums and how we speak about empires. You will see how it's "important and necessary" for museums like @smithsonian and @brooklynmuseum to mention the russian empire. Today let's look at @smithsonian and how they "mention" Ukraine

🧵 So @smithsonian is a big institution, a group of museums, education, and research centers, the largest such complex in the world. I know that many museums check the information about the artists from here because they also have open archive. But unfortunately, they have mistakes.

The best article about the problem of decolonization and Ukrainian art (Lisa Korneychuk @zhivchik_amb). Some (pro)russian media want to see it as "one crazy person after occupation want smt." But it's a common problem in world museums and art history. hyperallergic.com/793899/ukraini… Ukrainian culture (and any other post-Soviet/post-Russian Empire oppressed culture, for that matter) is successfully erased from global art history. And virtually every museum collection is an example of this erasure.

Today I will tell more about The Eneida (Aeneid) made by Ivan Kotlyaresvky in 1798. With fantastic illustrations by Anatoly Bazylevych, this book was published in the 1960s and became one of the most essential books in 🇺🇦 culture. With the help of @ChytomoE I'll tell you why. «Manners and customs of gods and heroes in the epic poem by Kotlyarevsky reflect the way of life of the gentry and bourgeoisie of the time, sinners in hell offer a wide range of social blemishes, and Aeneas himself and his army become iconic for our vision of the Cossacks.»

Although Halyna Mazepa (1910-1995) lived in Ukraine as a kid and had to migrate because of her father, who was prime minister of the Ukrainian People's Republic, her main topic in art was 🇺🇦 culture and images of women. Thread about her life in immigration and Venezuela. Her family lived in Dnipro until 1920, when they had to immigrate to Lviv. Because of the bolsheviks who wanted to occupy Ukrainian People's Republic and her father's life was in danger. In 1923, the family moved to Prague.

Thanks to NYT, I know the position of @brooklynmuseum and why there is no change and no decolonization. Seems that @annepasternak director wants to satisfy everyone. mainly russians, I assume? nytimes.com/2023/03/17/art… Also, how do you like a quote of @annepasternak “we believe that this approach better highlights the histories of war, colonization, and independence”. You can use explication, labels, and texts on the website and leave just Ukraine. How about "New York, former British Empire'?

Today is the birthday of Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), a great 🇺🇦 artist and poet, a symbol of the struggle for independence and against russian imperialism. You probably heard about him at least once. Big thread about his life and art. 🧵

'Kateryna' (1842) He was born in the village of Moryntsy, Cherkasy region, in a family of serf peasants (kripaky). He had a very poor and hard life. From a very young age, he served to a deacon and studied. Unable to endure bullying and feeling a great desire for painting, he ran away.

Women weren't allowed to study art some time ago. But even when they got this right, it was not allowed to paint nude and study with male artists. You can see that in work 'In studio' of Maria Bashkirtseva, Paris, 1885. Thread about 🇺🇦 women artists.🧵 Ukraine has many great female artists. But art history only knows some of them. Some were shadowed by their husbands or didn't have a chance to study or leave the village and follow their dreams. But not just because of society but also because of colonialism

Kateryna Bilokur

Here is Örnek, a national Crimean Tatar ornament. 9 years ago, Russian aggression began in Crimea, but also resistance began. Today I want to tell you about this incredible art. 🧵

Qırım serbest olacaq! The Örnek contains small elements combined into a composition, mainly of a plant and geometric nature. Interestingly, the ornament uses almost everywhere – on clothes, shoes, jewelry, ceramic and metal dishes, wooden products, furniture decoration, and carpets.

Wow, @aseeestudies . I wonder how students from Belarus and russia were affected by the war? Currently, there are as many as 420 criminal proceedings against the participants of antiwar movements. More than 400 civil people were killed just in my small hometown Bucha by russians.

https://twitter.com/aseeestudies/status/1629524130767699976

Imagine helping Jewish people and poor Germans affected by the war, maybe even putting them in the same room to talk? And I do not need to imagine. That's why my decision to stay in Ukraine. I would better stay under shellings rather than be with russians in the same room.

Today 144 years ago in Kyiv, Kazymyr Malevych was born, one of the most famous avant-garde artists. I wrote many times about his connections to 🇺🇦 and works about the genocide of Ukrainians in 1932-1933. But today, I want to discuss his connection to traditional 🇺🇦 culture. 🧵 Throughout his life, Kazimir Malevich emphasized that his artistic vision of the world was shaped by the Ukrainian village. "The village was engaged in art (I did not know this word then). In short, it did things that I really liked...

Henryk Streng (or Marek Wlodarski) was born in 1898 in Lviv. He was one of the leading representatives of the avant-garde in Lviv and a student of Fernand Leger. He was twice a prisoner in the nazi concentration camp and survived. A thread about his life and art in Lviv 🧵 From 1919 to 1924, he studied in Lviv. Then 1924-1926 – he studied at the Fernand Leger and Amede Ouzanfan free art school in Paris. We can see these similarities in his work. In 1927 he returned to Lviv.

Work made in 1925