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"I cannot exist ... without something bigger than me, something that fills my whole life - without creative power ..."Vincent Van Gogh


Hi! My name is Katya Kononenko. I am a Ukrainian contemporary artist. I was born in 1989, Kyiv region. I have been living in Lithuania since the full-scaled war started in Ukraine. I work and live in Vilnius now. Before the war, I lived and worked in Kyiv.
I create abstract art. My media are oil, acrylic, mixed media on canvas, and feather, ink on paper. 
I`ve studied color and art therapy. I believe that contemporary art is the same art therapy for creators as for visitors. The process of creating an artwork is a collaboration, experiment of the idea, selected materials, and spiritualistic reflection of the product of creativity. The result of the work is created art object and transformed reality outside and inside of me. 
The leading research themes and inspiration for me are archetypes, ego-states, deep emotions, and existential issues. Existential crises during the Ukrainian-russian war are the main themes in my art today.

2012 - Master`s Degree, Faculty of Psychology, Kyiv National University named Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine

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Untitled

Untitled Series is about pure emotions - pain, frustration, exploring physical contact between me and canvas.

I let myself.

I decided to share my inner state without understanding what is the state about. I tried to materialize it. I used art as a visual for my discomfort. It’s very hard to live alone in a foreign country. It’s hard to build a life from scratch.

Colors, art help me not to lose my mind and motivation for life and victory.

Dichotomies

The project is about 2 realities: war and non-war. Here, in Europe, the space is safe and full of life. But Ukraine is on fire. The war is continuing each moment. I can`t be out of this news. My inner space is full of emotional chaos, and ambivalent feelings. I can feel the pain and joy at the same time. During the day I can get very sad news, such as my friend has died in a war, or extra exciting like I won a grant or sold a painting. All these controversial feelings live inside of me and accumulate. Then splash!
I am exploring my dichotomic feelings and thoughts through abstract art. Because the art process is a transforming reality and a therapy process. The "Dichotomies" is a project of my deeper existential issues of Freedom, Finding yourself in a new society, Life, and Death.

Ornaments

In the project “Ornaments” I research colours and ornaments. How the colour of the background influences the colour of the ornament. How they are connected to each other, in what feelings a viewer can be involved by colours. Also, an ornament is a traditional national art in each country. I am trying to be closer to Ukraine through my paintings. 

Self-Portraits

This is my Self-portraits Series. It has 3 parts:The theory of 3 person's roles by Eric Bern: Adult, Child, and Parent. I made it with Petal`s and Molecule`s heroes from my Art Plays.
Freud`s theory about a person and unconclusion: Id, Ego, Superego
Refugee experience during Ukrainian-russian war.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

Ink on paper

There are you can find Series of Ink on Paper drawings. The Mosaic Series consists of the drawings that I made by Winnicott`s art therapy technique and different emotions and feelings. Such as sadness, anxiety, romantic feelings, etc. There is also the Mosaic Fruit Series with different figures of fruit and vegetables. Colorful Mosaics Series is a play with colors and ornaments.
The Relationships Series consists of expressive drawings-episodes from relationships Petal`s and Molecule`s life: Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, Wedding, Honeymoon and Conflict. As usual, I took The Molecule (male archetype) and The Petal (female archetype) as the main heroes in my ideas.
The First one - I was inspired by the Inktober - an art festival in social media. I am feeling that I am a kid who studying how to write her first words and phrases. I feel a magic relationship with ink as a media. You can find abstract landscapes, abstractions with lines. I work through themes of nature, weather, elements with my anxiety and finding stabilization and support in all this simple lines.

"Identity" Series

In the series "Identity" I raise the issue of national identity, the personal position in modern Ukraine. I wonder what my place in this relationship with my country and what is happening in it. I want to encourage viewers to ask themselves "uncomfortable" questions about the choice of their identity within Ukrainian society.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

Art Play "The Exploring", Part 4

The Art Play is a depiction of the story like in a lyric play. The text is as important as a visual concept. The Art Plays have main heroes, culmination and developing of the actions.
The second Art Play, "Freedom", ends with a breaking between The Petal and The Molecule. The third Art Play "Back to yourself" tells the story of the path and restoration of The Petal. What is The Molecule doing at this time? What is his story?
This is The Fourth and the last of my Art Plays - "The Exploring"
The Characters:The Molecule - an elongated shape that represents the masculine archetype,Canvas - space,Texture - the world
Act One "To the Moon"The Molecule goes to explore space. The energy of freedom, gained during the breaking up, launches the main hero into the Universe. He decides to find out what the world looks like outside the usual system of his existence. The first stop is the Moon.The landscape of the environment is impressive! The Molecule begins to mimic under the Moon. His usual blue color changes to the gray landscape.What happens next?
Act Two "To Mars"The Molecule enthusiastically flies to explore space further - to Mars. The red active background immerses The Molecule into itself. He mimics the landscape of the planet, almost splitting in it.How interesting around! How not lose yourself in this variety of new experiences?
Act Three "I am"
The Molecule is renewed, reaching the apogee of his research. He is being in the world of his existence. He is in the light. He absorbed the experience gained from travel and coexistence with the unknown. He was reborn into a textural Molecule.
The outer world is becoming the inner. He regains his blue color, emerging from the enlightenment of the new self. The light of the rays emphasizes his textured self-core and new shades.
For now, The Molecule does not need active growing. This development takes place in himself without any outer challenges.

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Macro World Series

The inner world of The Molecule and The Petal.How does it look like?I imagine it in my new Macro World Series. I reaserch inner world of my main heroes from the Art Plays: The Molecule and The Petal.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

Hommages

Hommage is defined as something expressive done in honor of a person using elements of their style. So I painted these artworks to express my respect for the artists that I like.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

Art Play "Back to yourself", Part 3

The previous story (Art Play "Freedom") has ended as The Petal and The Molecule choose two different paths. What happened next?
The 3rd Art Play "Back to yourself" tells the story of the restoration of The Petal and her path of self-knowledge, which she must discover alone.
So, my 3rd part of the lyrical Art Play is "Back to yourself" in three acts.
The characters:The August Petal of The Sunflower (The Petal) - female,Canvas - space,Colors, Shapes - the inner world of The Petal.Texture - the character of The Petal
Act One "Prints"The Petal is left alone with herself and begins to know her sides, roles, incarnations. She has never been in such close contact with the inner world. She is lost in her own prints. The Petal likes her monotypes. Also, she has started splitting by them. Something completely new and unknown unfolds with her. How to live with all of it? Is there a guide in this incredible world?
Act Two "Splitting"The Petal dives deeper into the inner world. Recognizable forms and ideas about herself are split, changed and gradually disappear. The colorful background of monotypes turns into a pointillistic world of point personifications of The Petal.A guide or any other characters are missing. The Petal begins to melt and split in her own story. Will she be able to realize who she is? Where are her borders and how not to get lost in your own world?
Act Three "I am"All colors mix with each other, forming a black background. The renewed Petal emerges abruptly and openly. From the depths of the unconscious, she declares her presence in this world with a wide expansive gesture! It remains true to herself, retaining the original yellow color, but absorbs new knowledge - conscious prints and colorful dots.The renewed Petal shows us her character through texture, her borders and her confidence. She becomes a figure, not the background, who has known herself, the core and is not afraid of her shadows.She begins shining brightly in this world.
What fate awaits her in the next series? Do you feel the difference between Petal from the first Art Play “Finding” and today? What is happening to the Molecule at this time?

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Art Play "Freedom", Part 2 

The heroes of the Art Play "Finding" fascinated me so much that I decided to continue their life story.
The Art Play "Freedom" is a reflection on freedom through leaving the comfort zone. The main characters - The Molecule and The Petal acquire new character traits, begin to open to the viewer from the other side. How the common story change the heroes? Will The Petal remain a passive voice or show the character? What is her reaction to the changes?
So, my second part of the lyrical Art Play is "Freedom" in three acts.
The characters:The August Petal of the Sunflower (The Petal) - female,The Molecule - a male, who investigate,Canvas - space,Colors, Shapes - the outside world
Act One "Comfort zone"
The Molecule and The Petal coexist in an ideal world of comfort. The Petal cares about the Molecule with kindness on all sides. The Molecule turns into a passive being.The world somehow exists.
Act Two "Discomfort zone"
At some point, the research principle awakens in the Molecule. His core moving him to change. The Molecule remembers that he is an active hero of his life. He begins to step out of the comfort zone, discovering the forgotten outside world. The Petal from the usual color of rest crimson with rage. Turns into a flame. It tries to keep the Molecule and the usual state of comfort with all his might.The world is constantly changing and somehow exists.
Act Three "Freedom"
The Molecule breaks out of the Petal "hugs" and finds the world again. His gaze goes in an unknown direction, but the thirst for adventure saturates and charges the movement forward and upward. The Molecule miraculously realizes that the world is much larger than the comfort zone. The Canvas increases.The Petals`s authoritarian monolith disintegrates. The Petal feels despair, resentment, aggression. Where does the Molecule go? Why does he leave? However, through the pain, the Petal perceives the collapse of the system as the rebirth, gaining freedom and the possibility of her own path.The world is constantly changing and somehow exists.


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Art Play "Finding", Part 1 

I wondered why we are meeting with some people easily, no matter what, but with others not. And with those who "not", it is unknown why. They emerge and disappear in their abstract worlds, barely touching yours. Impossibility of feasibility.
I reflect on the history of the finding process and path on four canvases, which can be combined into polyptychs, diptychs, or just one painting. I choose two main characters - the August Petal of the Sunflower and the Molecule. I choose an abstract fictional world of colors and shapes and a path. I choose canvases from larger to smaller, as a metaphor for time, which is constantly decreasing.
So, my lyrical art play "Finding" in four acts.
The characters:The August Petal of the Sunflower (The Petal) - passive female expectation,The Molecule - a male, who is in the finding processCanvas - timeColors, Shapes - others

Act One "Got lost"
The Petal got lost in an unknown world, created from unknown Colors and Shapes. The Molecule lives in a comfort zone. He saw the Petal on the horizon. He decided to meet with her.
Act Two "Where Are You?"
The Molecule travels to the meeting but chooses the wrong way. He lost the Petal from the horizon. The Petal doesn't know about the existence of the Molecule and his path, so she remains behind the scenes.
Act Three "Where Am I?"
Time jump. Now the Molecule falls into a completely unknown world of unknown Shapes and Colors. The Molecule understands that the path turned out to be harder and longer than he expected. Frustration. Tension. A long journey provokes him to think "Where am I?", Not "Where are You?". Culmination. Does he need that Petal, a meeting and is it all worth the efforts? There is a meeting with himself.The Petal is still unaware of the existence of the Molecule. The Molecule is unaware that the Petal is nearby.The Petal is mimicring under the new conditions.The Canvas is decreasing.
Act Four "The End"
Through Percival's path, the Molecule finds himself among his own. The Petal through adaptation also finds herself among her own. However, the question of the meeting remains open: Do Petal and Molecule find each other or melt in a world of similarities? Does Petal know about the path and existence of the Molecule?However, the Canvas is decreasing.


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"Covid Art" Series

Reflecting on my feelings and states during quarantine, I`ve chosen colors, lines and points. Because these are the simplest symbols of the transmission of the inner through the outer.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

"Madagascar" and "Iceland" Series

Madagascar is the antithesis of Iceland, the first series of textured landscapes and abstractions. It would seem that the same technique and materials have the same effect. But not. "Madagascar" has absorbed the warmth of the climate, the religiosity of the baobabs, the texture of meanings, the smoothness of thoughts and the aftertaste of the joy of everyday things. Unlike one of the richest, cleanest and happiest countries (Iceland), the dirty, cavey and poor island of Madagascar feels no less happy. Thanks to the value and gratitude of the simple: rice, a roof over your head, shoes on your feet.
Iceland is an isolated island country. It is closer to Greenland than to Europe. And this location is the best way to relax from people and get in touch with nature.Traveling through Iceland, I traveled deep inside myself. Every painting is an understanding of the sides of my soul. Each landscape is a piece of my history, insights, thoughts and experiences. This country has become an inevitable state for me.
Nature inspires, glorifies, calms and encourages pacification. That's why I wanted to portray it in 3D. This is something that goes beyond a simple drawing or contemplation. This is what fulfills.  
In my works, I used natural materials: coffee, dried flowers and grass, oat flakes, cereals, paper… Textures give sculpture to painting. They evoke a desire to get closer and learn more deeply what is hidden behind them. Maybe you will find something more for yourself there than just a picture.
However, "Madagascar", like "Iceland", is permeated for me by one life story - island loneliness.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

"Nautical Abstractions" Series

The series "Nautical Abstractions" was painted during the year. The first was the picture "Circle", which is the personification of space and sea depths at the same time. I imagined that somewhere these two spaces intersect and depicted him.I dived. Where will the thought lead me in-depth? Feeling in-depth? Where and what does this depth look like when I travel with my own unconscious?
Through the path of meditation and contemplation in myself, I felt a touch of the sea world and its images. Thus arose the following paintings: "Fishes", "Corals", "Seahorse", "Jellyfish", "Small Fishes", "Red Carp". The leading color that unites all the paintings is a dark purple, dark blue background, as the color of the imagination and the unconscious.
Each artwork has its own story. Push the picture to read it.

Other artworks

In the interior

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Certificate of Authenticity

When you buy my painting, you get an E-Certificate of Authenticity. Each certificate is ● Unique - the style connected to the artwork● Has photo of the artwork● Noticed the name of the artwork, my name, size, materials, year of creation● Signed● Has the date of buying

Postcards


My exhibitions, awards, activities


  • Illustration

    2023 - Mentoring program, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Germany

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    2023 - Rozgostitsa, Kühlhaus, Berlin, Germany

    Group exhibition at Kühlhaus in Berlin, Germany.

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    2023 - I am a refugee, Druskininkai museum, Lithuania

    Solo exhibition at Druskininkai museum in Druskininkai, Lithuania. Kultūros diena, LRT.lt

  • Illustration

    2023 - Conversation, Menu Kalve, Druskininkai, Lithuania

    Group exhibition at the cultural Centre "Menu Kalve" in Druskininkai, Lithuania.

  • Illustration

    2023 - Paroda, Druskininkai museum, Lithuania

    Group exhibition at Druskininkai museum in Druskininkai, Lithuania.

  • Illustration

    2022 - grant, Artist at Risk Connection

    I`ve got a grant from Artist at Risk Connection, PEN America

  • Illustration

    2022 - “Passion to Live or Fear to Die”, Sugihara House, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Solo exhibition with artworks, that i have created during art residency in Druskininkai, Lithuania. An article about the opening in Lithuanian media People

  • Illustration

    2022 - “Time condensate”, Valencia, Spain

    My project "Saved art" is in a group exhibition 

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    2022 - Druskininkai art residency, Lithuania

    I`ve got invitation for an art residency

  • Illustration

    2022 - “A Thing from the inner space", Institute of Modern and Research Art, Kyiv

    The Series of Abstract Self-Portraits take part in a group exhibition 

  • Illustration

    2021 - "Mosaics", Library "Svitlo", Kyiv

    Solo exhibition "Mosaics" with my graphic art in mosaic technique 

  • Illustration

    2021 - Change, Mykolaiv Art Week, Mykolaiv, Ukraine

    Art play "Freedom" took part in a group exhibition

  • Illustration

    2021 - "Ukrainian names", Museum of Korsaky, Lutsk, Ukraine

    Two prints "Happy Easter, 2020" and "Happy Easter, 2021" took part in a patriotic Ukrainian group exhibition due to Independent Day

  • Illustration

    2021 - “Art-Paraleli 2021", Centre of Ukrainian Art and Culture, Kyiv

    Mosaic and Mosaic 2 took part in the Ukrainian contemporary graphic art exhibition “Art-Paraleli 2021"

  • Illustration

    2021 - “Life as Art. Art as Life", Institute of Modern and Research Art, Kyiv

    A Poster "Play the Art" and my installation "Books" took part in a group exhibition 

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    2021 - “Art. Life. Play", book store "Siayvo", Kyiv

    Multimedia personal art show with graphic, oil, mixed, digital artworks and performance at the opening (directed by Natalia Galushko). I discovered how art combines with theatricalized life stories. 

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    2021 - “Dictatorship of Political Correctness", 1st International Biennale of Political Activism Art, Lithuania

     "Justice. Really?", "Fire" and "Illusion of Monumentalism-2" took part in the 1st International Biennale of Political Activism Art “Dictatorship of Political Correctness” by the International Association of Visual, Performing and Other Arts Team

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    2021 - “Object. Text. Decision", 1st International Biennale of text art, Lithuania

    2 posters "Happy Easter. StaySafe" and "Play the art" and an artwork "Resistance" took part in the 1st International Biennale of text art “Object. Text. Decision" by the International Association of Visual, Performing and Other Arts Team

  • Illustration

    2021 - "Connect", Mykolaiv Art Week, Mykolaiv, Ukraine

    Paintings "Isolation", "Red" and "Black" took part in a group exhibition

  • Illustration

    2021 - online open call "Portraits", ArtJobs

    The paintings Abstract Adult and Abstract Child won the first prize in the online open call "Portraits" by ArtJobs.

  • Illustration

    2020 - online charity auction Breath, Ukraine

    I sold the painting "Fog" by an online charity auction "Breath" by Ukrainian Catholic University. All money went to the medical equipment.

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    2020 - online Charity auction, Ukraine

    I sold the painting "Fire" by charity auction. All money went to the protests due to failed police reform in Ukraine.

  • Illustration

    2020 - Easter open call, White World Gallery, Kyiv

    I won the Easter open call by White World Gallery.

FAQ

  • How to order a painting?

    You can order the painting by● pushing the button "Buy" near the picture. Fill in the columns. I`ll write to you.● Send message via email moc.liamg%40eirbotok● messaging in my Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/KatyaKononenkoArt/ or Instagram @katya_kononenko_art

  • Shipping

     Temporarily I live, work, and worldwide send artworks from Lithuania by DHL/Lietuve Posta, etc. 
    But some artworks I can send from Kyiv. Just let me know.
    Shipping Ukraine- Ukraine during 3-5 business days by Nova Poshta.Worldwide shipping during 2-4 weeks by UkrPoshta or express shipping by DHL, UPS - during 10-12 business days. The shipping in a box for 1 painting/drawing cost ~50-500$. It depends on the distance to you, painting size and weight, express or not express shipping. Paintings with a heavy texture (mixed technique) are heavier than others. 

  • How to pay?

    1. Bank transfer to Swedbank (EURO)2. PayPal moc.liamg%40eirbotok ($, Euro)