ARTISTIC IMAGE OF UKRAINIAN FOLK COSTUME IN THE CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN ICON PAINTING ARTWORKS BY OLEKSANDR OKHAPKIN

This study offers an analysis of certain works by the contemporary Ukrainian icon painter Oleksandr Okhapkin. His works address the traditions of Ukrainian decorative and applied arts by impregnating the icon’s composition with typical examples of folk artworks of the Ukrainian people, with Ukrainian folk costume playing an important role among these artworks. Therefore, this article is aimed at interpreting the Christian image of the Mother of God as a Ukrainian Berehynia Woman and Mother, which can be seen in the complex of the depicted Ukrainian folk costume and its particular elements. The methodological basis included priority methods of art studies: historical method, art analysis method, comparison and generalization, comprehensive method, and interviewing method. Conclusions. An analysis of icons of the Mother of God has revealed the particularities of using examples of Ukrainian decorative and applied arts in the composition of icon painting works. It was ascertained that the Mother of God is presented as the legendary Berehynia Woman and Mother Earth. In the future, this topic deserves to be studied in greater depth and filled with new senses of contemporary significance, at the time when national self-identification of Ukrainians in the world is extremely necessary. In particular, this can be done using the figurative language of icon painting.