At the beginning of the 20th century: the epoch of modernity was already in full swing, defining the zeitgeist of that era. Empires were collapsing, and societies around the world were undergoing turbulent changes. In the midst of a whirlwind of social and technological change, art sought new forms of expression.
Fine art, in particular, forged a new visual language. Ukrainian artists in the early 20th century were at the forefront of these transformations, propelling European art forward while expertly blending European influences with distinctively Ukrainian elements.
Interestingly, the term "Ukrainian avant-garde" was not coined until 1973, when French art historian Andréi Nakov used it in his exhibition "Tatlin's Dream" in London.
Young artists who had savoured the freedom of aesthetic expression abroad spearheaded the avant-garde movement in Ukraine, garnering support from the majority of students in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa.
Notably, Ukraine played an important role in the early days of abstract art, with the first abstract work appearing on the cover of the "Izdebsky Salon 2" art catalogue in 1910. Ukraine also hosted the first international avant-garde exhibition, which took place in Odesa and Kyiv.
The term "Cubo-Futurism" arose from the fusion of two art movements: French Cubism and Italian Futurism that seemed difficult to synthesize. The tools for these two styles were opposites: Cubism strived for analyticity, and while it deconstructed objects and figures, it sought constructiveness; Futurism, on the other hand, expressed dynamics by destroying construction.
However, Ukrainian artists harmonised these two opposing forces in the synthetic style of Cubo-Futurism.
The exhibition sparked an aesthetic scandal, with the press ruthlessly ridiculing the artists and their canvases. This reception was similar to the mockery endured by the Impressionists in Paris in the early 1870s. Paradoxically, this public scorn only fueled the Kyiv artists' determination to pursue their artistic innovations.
the primacy of colour, which assumed a pivotal role in artistic expression while rejecting realistic representation.
Another defining characteristic was the combination of European modernism and folk art traditions.
Ukrainian artists preserved their cultural heritage while skillfully incorporating it into the rapidly changing landscape of European art, thus resulting in new forms and interpretations. This distinctive fusion resulted in numerous collaborations between folk artisans and avant-garde artists.
She embraced the concept of art liberated from narrative and representational forms, exploring abstract expression in her creative process
. Collaborating with other artists, Ekster worked alongside village residents in the art artel of Verbivka village.
In Kyiv, she founded the city's first art studio school, teaching abstract art to both children and adults. Ekster encouraged her students to explore new approaches to painting, emphasizing the creation of art through rhythm rather than plot.
In 1918, under increasing pressure from Soviet authorities, Ekster emigrated to Paris, where she continued her artistic pursuits.
In Malevich's work, the dominant colours (red, black, white) and iconographic forms (cross, square, circle, line) of folk decorative art underwent an intellectual transformation.
These elements were elevated to a new level of abstraction, forming a system of universal sign codes arranged in specific rhythms.
This approach enabled Malevich to bridge the past and present.
He regarded it as an invaluable archive and a powerful source of creative expression for the nation.
He preferred urban subjects. Unlike many European artists of his day, who viewed the city as a place where individuality is crushed, Bohomazov believed that "the city challenges personality, but it can also shape it."
His work tempers the intense urbanism of the French Cubists and Italian Futurists. The bustling pace and crowdedness of the city are combined with the gentle movements of its inhabitants.
Burliuk was exceptionally active: he joined the German association "Blue Rider," toured with exhibitions, and even gave lectures on Futurism in the Far East during the Russian Civil War.
Interestingly, Burliuk was most likely the first modernist to publicly display body art on his own face, using drawings inspired by Trypillian culture, which he discovered through artefacts from Vikentiy Khvoyka's excavations.
Boychuk, unlike many of his contemporaries, was not captivated by the European avant-garde. Instead, he fell in love with the Byzantine mosaics and frescoes he saw in Italy.
Boychuk sought to combine the artistic traditions of Byzantium with Ukrainian folk art, creating a new style that reflected national identity. Artists of this movement drew inspiration from the artistic heritage of Kyivan Rus and the Proto-Renaissance.
Thus, the main features of Boychukism included: an appeal to the forms of Byzantine icons and Renaissance religious art, the influence of Ukrainian folk painting, the avoidance of unnecessary details, the schematization and simplicity of forms, and bright colors inspired by Ukrainian peasant life.
Boychukists aimed to create art that reflected the national spirit while also being contemporary, universal, and appealing to a global audience.
In 1910, Mykhailo Boychuk and his students organized "Revival of Byzantine Art," an exhibition in Paris. This event was a significant step toward international recognition of Boychukism.
Boychuk's school welcomed talented artists such as I. Padalka, V. Sedliar, S. Nalepinska-Boychuk, and others. The Boychukists created monumental frescoes depicting contemporary scenes and interpreting them through the lens of Ukrainian cultural tradition.
During a wave of Stalinist repressions against the Ukrainian intelligentsia in 1937, many representatives of this school were killed.
Boychukism was declared "bourgeois nationalism" by Soviet authorities, and it was outlawed. For decades, efforts were made to erase this movement from history, with the Boychukists' works destroyed or hidden in museum storage.
Only after Ukraine gained independence in 1991 did interest in Boychukism resurface. Today, Mykhailo Boychuk and his students' works are being studied and exhibited again, recognizing their importance in the development of Ukrainian art in the 20th century.
From the 1930s on, Soviet authorities stifled the development of modern, progressive Ukrainian art by repressing artists and prohibiting their activities.
Nonetheless, Ukrainian painting in the early twentieth century had already emerged as an explosive fusion of tradition and innovation that transformed the concept of art.
This era gave birth to a unique symbiosis of national identity and European avant-garde sensibilities, resulting in an artistic language that spoke of both the past and the future.
Ukrainian artists did more than just keep up with the times; they were at the forefront, ahead of the curve, boldly experimenting with forms and ideas while remaining deeply connected to their cultural roots.
