Art critiques and reviews
A HURRICANE OR A PALETTE OF MOODS
The aesthetic nature of paintings by Halyna Kornieieva is organically linked to her temperament, the rhythm of life, and the breadth of emotional reactions to the everyday existence. This female artist bravely manifests her personality without the burden of those conventions brought about as a result of professionalism or pragmatism. Hence the configuration of her figurative reflections is not only broad, but also versatile, dependent on the differing inner pulses inducing her creativity.
In the present-day repertoire of formal tools, Halyna Kornieieva prefers a colour expression arranged into a coherent composition, as spontaneously as a relevant mood can appear. This preference of clean colours is in direct correspondence with the author’s optimistic world view. Given this mood palette, the action of the artist in organising the image is improvisational, and finally unpredictable. Movements of the brush on the canvas plane are controlled by the subliminal mind, although according to a certain painting strategy. The artist does not like repetition, being enticed by unexpected plastic or colour texture collations. Yearning for the thrill of these creative actions, Halyna Kornieieva, with her challenging and bold metaphoric ideas, firmly establishes in her compositions the absolute character of a corresponding state of excitation, whilst experiencing the utmost aesthetic pleasure.
Within a short period of time, the poetic notional space of paintings created by Halyna Kornieieva has matured into an abundant garden in which a considerable collection of exotic plants can be found alongside the more familiar flowers. The artist is constantly finding more reasons to cultivate a fresh and so far unseen, embodiment, or reveal an unexpected melodic structure reflecting her spiritual essence and emotionality.
Prof. Roman Yatsiv, Vice-Rector at Lviv National Academy of Arts, 2020
A REVIEW OF THE PAINTING THE FLOWER OF FAITH OF SAINT NILUS BY HALYNA KORNIEIEVA
I am totally overawed, on an emotional level, by the natural gift and successful artistic career of a beautiful young woman, Halyna Korneyeva, who is a really versatile artist working with various genres. There is nothing accidental in the completely original works created by Halyna Kornieieva, every element of her paintings is of significance – the colour, composition, and the underlying ideas, and each aspect testifies both to her superlative aesthetic taste and to her own unique and distinctive style.
Halyna Kornieieva created the painting The Flower of Faith of Saint Nilus (180cm x 150cm, oil on canvas) in 2019, especially for Santa Maria di Grottaferrata, the Abbey of Saint Nilus – Italy’s only uninterrupted operating Monastery of the Byzantine rite, founded by Saint Nilus the Younger in 1004.
The creation of this painting heralded the start of a new life for the artist! Halyna recollects: «I prayed, I kneeled down in front of a snow-white canvas, and began my creation, softly spreading and gently mixing colours. I had never considered this to be possible! I rejoiced in it! I felt my soul filling with the utmost lightness! I kept on asking of Saint Nilus: and so what now?».
The Painting astonishes with its novelty and simplicity, the depth of the subject, the compositional solution, the symbolism, bright and light colours, and its musicality and sensuality! Depicted on the blue cup-like stem is a Sun-like flower of a vivid golden-yellow colour – a divine enlightenment! On the Sun, a smiling image of the Virgin with Child appears in a very subtle form. The surrounding sunbeams are intertwined into a celestial web of a casting net (a doctrine of fishermen and Apostles), into which are caught up the souls of those aspiring to salvation.
The flower is reminiscent of a spring dandelion that is commonly referred to as «A child of the Sun». This joyful plant, surviving in harsh conditions, is a symbol of kindness, the initiation of new life, and freedom. The «casting net» around the Sun looks like an assemblage of tiny parachutes – the tools of salvation. The stem of this mystical flower grows from a sacred island – a mount of enlightenment, consisting of precious stones, such as sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, chrysolite, chrysoprase, etc. The stone is a symbol of Christ and of faith itself, as a foundation whereupon a spiritual life is built. Also, probably it will happen that someone will see stylized wave-like rocks or celestial scrolls – manuscripts bearing the teachings of the Faith.
The rocks symbolise the stronghold of Christianity, and the waves eternal motion, elation, and success. The forms and the colours of the wave-like rocks interact, as do their symbols. The dark blue colour is a symbol of the sky and the Divine, as well as that of the sea, the depth, and the height; the blue colour is the colour of the Son of God and the Spirit of Truth; the various hues of green represent the Spirit of Eternity, youth, and hope. Beneath the wave-like rocks, small plants are climbing up, like the luminous fiery trails of a spaceship heading up into the skies. Ladder-like rosary beads are used by those seeking salvation, and are similar to the streams of curative springs.
The intrepid red boats of spiritual travellers are amazing. Triangular sails signify the Divine Grace, and the white colour reflects the purity of thoughts. The tender honey Flower of Faith is «framed» with flanking steadfast solid pillars of orange colour – the colour of spiritual health. The artist does not paint an arch – nothing should prevent the flower from growing up, the same as the Sun from rising. In addition, all this «action» is taking place against a silver grey background, the most usual colour of spaceships.
This pictorial canvas evokes such powerful, bright, and yet calm emotions. Straight and rounded lines/planes are conjoined in an inventive manner. Vertical lines are associated with the clarity and upward movement, whereas convex lines relate to finesse and ingeniousness. The painting radiates great honesty, truth and joy, just like a naïve child’s perception of the world. It inspires! «I am happy!» says Halyna. «The Flower of Faith of Saint Nilus has flourished in my soul!». Also, there is still so much that the artist can bring to fruition in the future, as she has this immense creative potential! Therefore, I wholeheartedly wish her great inspiration, and further artistic fulfilment!
Dr. Olha Osadtsia, Art Critic, Senior Researcher at Stefanyk National Science Library, 2019
GLISTENING IMAGES OF HALYNA KORNIEIEVA
In her paintings Halyna Kornieieva employs visual images, and the play of lines and planes in vibrant colors, to depict her hidden inner world which is closely connected with her reflections on life and the nature that surrounds us. Her passionate and vibrant paintings are unique and deeply individual; they are exciting, captivating, and compelling.
Throughout her early childhood Halyna developed a passion for painting, brought about whilst watching her grandmother painting Easter eggs, resulting in the instant appearance of small but perfectly executed masterpieces from her own hands. The girl would follow each step of this creative work spellbound. These long-ago enchanting lessons have remained ever since in the memory of the granddaughter.
Halyna also remembers, with grateful thanks, her drawing teacher, a graduate of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, who delivered brilliant lessons, with the result that the girl was the winner of a children’s drawing competition. Depicted in her picture was a multi-storey building and a small dog, without a single human being!
Several years of study at the Ukrainian Academy of Printing led to employment at Lviv Art Gallery, where Halyna Kornieieva was the head of the «Markiyan Shashkevych Museum». She continued with her academic work and the defence of her dissertation, and the setting up of new museums and the «Art Space» art gallery followed.
Halyna Kornieieva is a notable museum curator and scholar. She is Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, PhD (History), and a renowned expert in the work of the poet Markiyan Shashkevych, author of numerous publications, editions, author and initiator of exhibitions and museums of Ukrainian history and culture. She is permanently kept occupied with various projects, however, the passion for painting, according to her, never leaves her even for one moment!
Halyna Kornieieva presents her own inimitable world filled with love and energy for color and image. Her bright and decorative painting compositions within the plane of the canvas create the impression of an extravaganza and a wonderful fairy tale which offers his own beloved plot to each spectator. Beautiful lyrical compositions Island, Flower Outburst, and Brollies, seem to radiate the freshness and energy of kindness, and a frank, albeit somewhat naïve, fascination with the world.
She possesses an amazing skill in arranging the space in which she works, and also in finding some very unusual images and compositions, making accents in the very places where they are necessary. Her paints are gleaming, shimmering and vibrating, creating an intense and emotional color harmony. The artist thinks in colors and uses them to build an expressive form. Her work is based on a clear color, and laconic compositions and rhymes. Her landscapes and still-life paintings are full of joie de vivre and sunshine, featuring a rich texture and exuberance.
Prof. Yuriy Biryulov, Lviv National Academy of Arts, 2018