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AN ELEGANT collection of 75 paintings was launched by Portarlington-based Ukrainian artist Nataliia Bakalyna in the Gallery of Divine Inspiration at Bloom HQ, Mountrath recently.
The stunning display features vibrant scenes of landscapes, seascapes, forests, lighthouses, wonderful paintings of animals, birds, portraits and much more.
Nataliia’s best friend Mariia Matiukhina translated her words of thanks to the large gathering from Ukrainian into English. Mariia also translated the welcoming words of gallery curator Kevin McCann from English into Ukrainian.
“Despite a hard peasant life, my grandfather was deeply drawn to painting. In winter, when he had free time, he would sit down to draw. He dreamed that one of his descendants would continue on his path. Since childhood, I felt this pull toward art within myself.” Nataliia studied painting, sculpture and decorative arts at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. In 2004 she received her bachelor’s degree and in 2007 she achieved a specialist degree in decorative and applied arts. After graduating from university, she worked as an artist creating souvenir products before becoming fascinated by graphic design.
Continuing, Nataliia said: “I got married and moved to Kharkiv, where I worked at a large publishing house laying out children’s books and magazines and I created covers and designing materials. While designing books with illustrations by other artists, I would remember my own creativity with a touch of sadness.
“In my free time I made woollen toys, painted plates and created original gifts for friends and colleagues on commission. When the management of the publishing house saw my work, they offered me the chance to create an author’s book with step-by-step masterclasses. That’s how three books came about. These books were translated into other languages and published in Europe and China under the surname Lukyanenko.” Nataliia also worked on the layout of a magazine for Lviv Airport. She said: “Each issue was like a separate adventure. I delved into articles about history, travel, culture, selected the best photographs and searched for visual solutions. I worked on a book where the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland was listed as one of the 100 most amazing places on the planet. At that time, I could not have imagined that I would live in Ireland, but the war changed everything. I lost my home and my job. My world turned upside-down, but Ireland welcomed my family and me.
“This exhibition is the first in my life. I am very grateful to the organisers for giving me the opportunity to present my works. This is an important step for me. I am thankful to God and to my family and my friends for their support and for the fact that I have this opportunity. I am also very thankful to my best friend Mariia for all of her help.” Commenting on Nataliia’s works for the ***Laois Nationalist***, Kevin McCann said: “First and foremost, Nataliia’s work is fabulous. All of the paintings are very well executed. I have to admire the courage and bravery of someone who has come from a war-torn situation to actually go ahead and hold an art exhibition. I think it’s very admirable. Nataliia’s paintings are very sellable works. They’re the kind of paintings that people love to hang over their mantelpieces.” Everyone is welcome to view the fabulous exhibition at Bloom HQ Mountrath during June. The artist can be contacted on Instagram by searching @bakalyna_art or by phoning 087 7918399.
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