Graphics by Andriy Levytskyi

Andriy Levytskyi is an interesting modern Ukrainian graphic artist, widely known both in Ukraine and abroad, a winner of a number of prestigious international awards for the best works in the field of graphic art. The artist has performed a series of etchings devoted to Kyiv at the turn of the 1980s – 1990s, combining well-known architectural monuments with symbolic and allegorical images (TheHouse of Horodetskyi, Kyiv Lavra, St. Andrew’s Church, Theotokos (all of 1987–1990)). The theme is continued in the series My Kyiv-1 and My Kyiv-2 (both in 1996). Panoramas have become the most expressive works of Andriy Levytskyi. These are long horizontal friezes, which technique is defined by the artist as intaglio (Road to Town, Love Comes in The Town (both of 2002), Talking to Myself (2004), Pine Spirit, Dreamscape (2005)); a vertical “scroll” can also be considered as a kind of “panorama” (Geografica Nova (2007)). Panoramas are considered as a peculiar kind of imaginary landscapes, where fantasy architecture is combined harmoniously with beautiful natural motifs. A special place among them belongs to trees beloved by the graphic artist. Panoramas also contain numerous musical associations, allusions on personal memories and impressions of the author, that lends them a special sincerity and intimacy. The work My Island (2010) also belongs to the Panoramas thematically. The topic of technical devices, which conquer various elements – earth, water, air – but do not spoil or destroy the environment, but rather become its continuation and integral part, appears in the intaglio Railroad, AVIA, Comets, Flights (all of 2009), Aerostation (2013), in the series Sailers (2017) and Sailboats-2 (2018). Quite a few works of Andriy Levytskyi are also dedicated to trees (Tree (2013), My Trees, My Life (both of 2014), My Greece (2018), Beetle’s Tree. Garden (2019)). The artist sums up his understanding of harmony in the sheets Hippo and Chamomile (2012) and Snail (2013), where all living inhabitants of the earth without exception, as well as sailers and retro planes, coexist in close but peaceful and friendly neighbourhood.