Artist Statement

Olena Prykhodko

born 1964

Artist

I am a contemporary Ukrainian self-taught artist who began my career after another professional career, currently living in Germany.

In my creative philosophy, I share the views of the eminent artist Wassily Kandinsky, formulated at the beginning of the last century: “An artist’s freedom lies in the ability to listen to his inner voice, rather than follow external rules or fashion.”

In my artistic practice, I focus on the balance between natural aesthetics and the urban environment, between urban residents’ perception of the changing world and finding emotional balance through the infusion of natural objects into urban apartments, so including in the form of painted depictions of them.

My series of still lifes with cacti, images of cozy terraces , animals and blooming meadows pose questions that are important to everyone: “Trees or rockets? Flowers or explosions?”

The goal of my artistic practice is to create new images by overcoming the mundane, to create meanings through the search for balance within oneself against the backdrop of a turbulent, rapidly changing world.

I am inspired by the mutability and transience of the beauty of natural objects, their harmonious integration into the urban environment. My creative process involves changing the relationship between form, color, and light in the objects depicted, my emotional perception of the natural world, and an awareness of its immeasurable value to humans. I want to inspire others to support environmental and anti-war movements, as our world is unique, changeable, and fragile like never before.

In my paintings, I use high-quality professional acrylic and oil paints, cotton canvases, professional finishing varnishes and I love mixing colors, intuitively creating shades that maybe don’t exist in nature, but which enhance the impact of my paintings on the viewer.