SOMERSET, N.J. – Yukhym Mykhailiv (1885-1935) was one of the most idiosyncratic and poorly understood Ukrainian artists of the early 20th century. His Symbolist landscapes, musically swirling stars and waterfalls, incandescent flowers in moonbeams, and delicate still-lifes were completely out of step with the work of his contemporaries.
His refusal to conform to Socialist Realism led to his arrest, exile and untimely death in the Russian Arctic. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of his widow, Hanna Mykhailiva, and his daughter and son-in-law, Tetiana and George Chaplenko, more than 80 of his drawings, watercolors, oils and pastels safely made the perilous voyage through wartime Europe and across the ocean to the United States.
“Chaika” (The Seagull) by Yukym Mykhailiv, 1923, pastel on paper.
He was essentially unknown in pre-independence Ukraine, but has since been the subject of a 1997 international conference and a 224-page monograph and catalogue raisonné published in 2003.
“Visible Music: The Art of Yukhym Mykhailiv” will be the first presentation of this artist’s most important works in over 30 years, and will be drawn from the 72 pieces acquired by the Ukrainian History and Education Center (UHEC) in 2008 as a bequest from George Chaplenko. The exhibition will present not only his artwork, but also the historical and cultural influences that helped to push Mykhailiv along his unusual trajectory. The associated exhibition guides and catalogue will also help to correct some of the errors that have crept into the scholarly literature on Mykhailiv, such as incorrect dating and images that have been published with very poor color reproduction or even reversed left-to-right.
The public is invited to join the Ukrainian History and Education Center in opening this exhibition on November 17 at the UHEC Library Gallery, located at 135 Davidson Ave., Somerset, NJ 08873, with a reception and gallery talk by curator Michael Andrec at 1 p.m. The exhibition will be on view through May 1, 2020. For additional information, see www.ukrhec.org, call 732-356-0132 or e-mail [email protected].
The Ukrainian History and Education Center is a museum, archive and library center devoted to telling the stories of Ukraine, its people, and the Ukrainian American experience, as well as connecting generations through exhibitions, archives and educational programming.