ElitExpert spoke with a famous Odessa artist, head of the international project "Art-tourism", vice-president of the Union of Mariners of Odessa, laureate of many prestigious international exhibitions, such as the Biennale di Venezia, competitions and festivals Galina Lekareva-Nikityna.
— Halyna Viktorovna, today the international project "Art Tourism" united artists from all over the world who were able to take part in Odessa plein air. And even in the conditions of quarantine, it continues to unite. How did the idea of this project come about, and what contributed to its development?
— All our childhood impressions play a role in adult life. When I was little, we lived in Leningrad and went to the dacha on the Baltic Sea, and I watched the fishermen go out to sea in boats. I was 5 years old then. I took a wooden box and my sister and I went swimming. Everyone rushed to save us. But I remember that I really wanted to go on a sea trip. And I carried this dream all my life. I was born in Riga, studied in Odessa and Leningrad. And then I felt the difference in the condition of the climatic zones. When I graduated from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin of the Academy of Arts in Leningrad, my husband and I toured all the climatic zones of the USSR on the Zaporizhia - from Karelia to Odessa. They stayed near lakes, in forests. Once they even got stuck in a swamp. They called the truck, but the truck also failed. The whole procession dragged us. In Belarus, I was impressed by how canvases were dried on a green field. And when we got to Odessa, the sun was here like fireworks, the blue sea, boats... All this was imprinted like a picture in the head. And over time, it spilled over into my works.
In 1973, I got to a creative plein air, where luminaries gathered. And I discovered the landscape for myself, which served as a great impetus for my creativity. After the Academy, I worked at the Odessa art school named after Grekova, taught students with whom I had complete understanding - although many were older than me. My course was attended by artists who are famous all over the world today: Viktor Sapatov, Vladimir Kharchenko, Arkady Tsykun, and others. Then I was inspired to "personalize". My first exhibition was held at the Actor's House, where I was very well received. Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Alexander Abdulov, Alla Pugacheva came to the exhibition. I began to receive orders from the fund. I was awarded a diploma at the All-Union Exhibition of Artists, and it began to be published. Going out to the open air, I saw more and more the beauty of the Odessa region. And finally, it's time for my own project...
When, in the 1990s, artists and I began to leave Odessa and tour the surrounding areas, we discovered magnificent virgin places for ourselves. The works of Konstantin Paustovsky also inspired me, his poem about the sea, his travel descriptions inspired me. And I also wanted to walk these paths, study the landscapes and capture what exists today. Because this is to some extent also a documentary project. I was supported by artists who are interested in this topic. We established contacts with masters from Poland, Romania, Germany, Israel and other countries and cities. At the end of plein air, we hold international exhibitions, promoting the beauty of the Odesa region through our artistic perception.
— How does the "Art Tourism" project develop in quarantine conditions?
- We don't stop. And we continue to cooperate and unite artists from all over the world at a remote level. Now in the library named after Franko opened an exhibition of the Israeli artist Anatoly Metly, who lived in Odessa. We are planning TV shows with artists from Germany, Canada, Romania, and Bulgaria.
— In Odessa, you are also known as the organizer of international children's drawing contests.
— We just finished the "Peace Through the Eyes of Children" contest. For many years, we have been holding exhibitions with Mother Serafima, Abbess of the Holy Assumption Women's Monastery and with the City Art Gallery. In January, we will hold a Christmas exhibition. On Easter - Paschalnaya. Children from Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Moldova send us work. Romania, Hungary, Germany and other countries. This year, with the support of the Consul General of Romania in Odessa, Emil Rapcha, we published the book "Miracles of God's World", which was illustrated by young artists of the children's music school No. 15 of the fine art class of Iryna Kharitonova. And now they are preparing drawings about European countries.
— Halyna Viktorovna, how to discover a child's talent, understand in what direction he needs to develop?
— It is very important to listen to children and their wishes. When I was a child, my parents really wanted me to finish music school. But I didn't like music, I performed musical etudes from under a stick. And once on the street my mother saw an artist who was painting a picture. She approached him and asked if he could determine whether her daughter had a talent for drawing. He came to our house, put apples on the table. Gave me gouache, watercolor. I wrote a sketch. He covered with varnish. It turned out a beautiful picture. After that, he advised to let me study at an art school - and indeed, there I felt that it was mine, I entered the art school named after Grekova I dreamed of VGIK, I wanted to study to be a film artist. But the teacher suggested that I go to the Leningrad Academy, where I successfully entered painting and received the basics of mastery. It is very important that there are always people in life who will advise, guide, and inspire.
— Halyna Viktorovna, you are also the vice-president of the Odessa Seamen's Union, chmember of the International Union of Artists "Art Without Borders", curator of exhibitions, competitions and festivals. What else will please the viewer?
— This year, my personal exhibition was exhibited in the art gallery in the Greek Center, from April it will be presented in Ochakovo. Recently, in the gallery "Khudozhnyk dalnego plavaniya" of library No. 2 named after Paustovsky, we opened the exhibition "O sea, sea..." by the wonderful artist Natalya Maksimova. We continue the project "Sozvuchie" in the library named after Franko, combining painting, sculpture, literature and music of masters of art from different countries. So dreams come true. If you keep dreaming...
Information:
Galina Lekareva-Nikityna was born in Riga (Latvia) in 1946. In 1972, she graduated from the I. E. Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the Academy of Arts of the USSR in Leningrad.
1973 - the beginning of the exhibition activity of the artist, who took part in more than 200 exhibitions of international, all-Ukrainian and regional significance. Since 1976, Halyna Lekareva-Nikityna has been a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
In 2006, the artist was awarded the City Mayor's Medal of Honor "For Services to the City"; in 2008, she became a laureate of the annual contest "People of Business" of the newspaper "Vechernyaya Odesa" in memory of Borys Fedorovych Derevyanko; in 2013 – awarded the medal of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church "Saint Innokenty of Odessa II degree", Awarded with honorary diplomas of the mayor of Odessa and the head of the Odessa state administration.
Galina Lekareva-Nikityna's works are in the museums of Ukraine and Russia; in private collections in Poland, Italy, and the USA.
