ULYANA BALAN’S PERSONAL ART EXHIBITION “HARVEST”

Ulyana Balan is a Ukrainian artist, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, a researcher of modern visual arts, a senior lecturer at the Department of Digital Art at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design. She received her education at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Professor H. I. Halynska’s workshop of book graphics and underwent an assistantship-internship at the Faculty of Graphics of the National Academy of Arts. She works in the field of painting, graphics and illustration.

Ulyana Balan is an active participant of all-Ukrainian and international exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad. Her works are kept in private collections in Ukraine, Germany, and Sweden.

In her work, she explores the topic of mythologizing the social and cultural context of today, the influence of mass culture on the formation of individual worldview, the interaction of the collective – individual, public – personal.

The “Harvest” art exhibition is a fascinating creative project that presents an exquisite collection of 18 works by a talented artist who demonstrates her mastery in the graphic grattage technique.

Grattage is a painting technique used to create images by removing part of a paint layer from the surface of a canvas or paper. Scratch art can be created using various materials, such as pencils, ink, paints, charcoal, pastels, and even paper cut-outs. This variety of materials allows the artist to create a variety of textures and effects. This technique in art arose in the middle of the 20th century and became popular among the surrealists. The name "grattage" itself comes from the French word "grati" (which means "to beat" or "to scrape"), because this technique involves scraping or smearing materials on a surface. In terms of its technique, grattage is somewhat similar to engraving techniques and requires the artist to focus and selectivity create an image, a clear understanding of the future composition.

The theme of the exhibition invites guests on a journey to the world of fertile land and nature, which provides us with life. The annual miracle of fruit ripening, flowering and variety of natural forms. The mystery of the little seed is a small but powerful symbol of wonder and hope for continued life. This tiny seed may seem insignificant but when it is planted in the soil, it begins its incredible journey of growth and development. Like a seed, we humans can grow and develop our potential. Even in difficult times when everything seems lost, even small steps can lead to big changes and growth. The miracle of the harvest reminds us that it is important to believe in the possibility of the future and rely on nature, on life itself. Life is an incredible cycle, and the fruits of the new harvest are only one of its symbolic stages. This metaphor gives us faith and hope to continue life, even in the most difficult moments. It reminds us that each of us has the potential for growth and creativity, and life always gives us opportunities to unlock that potential and make the world a better place.

Gallery

“Капуста”, 64Х45см, папір/гратаж.