IURII VAKULENKO

Protect the defender. 2022.

 

80х66,2х7,6 cm.

 

Board, collage, acrylic, oil.

 

All our thoughts every day, especially today, are with those who defend Ukraine. They are our protection and support. Helping and protecting them is an important priority for which this project was launched. This alive, symbol-breathing work, with gunshot holes that still shine, preserves sacred images. It is a symbol of our faith and protection of defenders.

It is based on the image of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God – a symbol of the protection of soldiers fighting for a just cause. In the foreground, it is also reinforced by the image of the symbolic heavenly host – the Holy Trinity of angels. After all, we are all fighting for a “holy cause” – for life, for freedom and independence of our country.

 

Iurii Vakulenko (born in 1957) – painter, easel painting restorer, museum professional, curator of art exhibitions, author of publishing projects, educator, and social activist. Corresponding member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Knight of the Order of Carl Faberge and the Order of Merit II and III degrees. Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine.
Since 1986, he has had numerous exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad.
The artist’s works are part of the collections of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve, the National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery”, the National Taras Shevchenko Museum, the Odessa Art Museum, as well as in private collections of Ukraine, Israel, and the USA.

The grand opening of ArtArmor exhibition took place in the city of Lviv!

The grand opening of ArtArmor exhibition took place in the city of Lviv!

Our project team is extremely excited by visiting Lviv and filled with hope for respective attention of residents and guests of the city to ArtArmor collection! Particularly, we believe that from now on the exhibition will be more accessible for international audience.

 

We extend our gratefulness to the Metropolitan of Lviv and Sokalsk Dymytriy, the Head of Lviv Regional State Administration Maksym Kozytskyi, the Deputy Chairman of the Lviv Regional Council Yuri Kholod, the Consul General of Poland in Lviv Eliza Dzvonkiewicz and all the guests of the opening for their attention to our project!

 

During the opening Oleksandr Kovalchuk, the initiator and coordinator of ArtArmor project, noted the following:

 

We have taken another important step with ArtArmor, the feeling is overwhelming! In Lviv, we finally completed our exposition, because it was here that the eleventh and twelfth works were added to the exhibition. Now we are preparing for the next steps, that shall be announced shortly, it will be cool!

 

You can familiarise with the art objects until January 17, 2023 in the Museum-Arsenal of the Lviv Historical Museum (5 Pidvalna Street).

 

 

 

 

 

Zelensky signed the ArtArmor plate

Zelensky signed the ArtArmor plate

We are pleased to announce great event in the life of the ArtArmor project: another work of our exposition is fully completed!

 

This is a work with the signatures of the heads of all law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny, the Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk, and now the President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy!

 

In this armor plate, we show our unity, bravery and indomitability of every Ukrainian!

 

It is symbolic that the final completion of this work took place just before the beginning of the new year 2023.

 

We congratulate you on coming holidays!

OLEKSANDR KOVALCHUK

UNITED FORCE. 2022

 

29х25 cm.

 

 

The plate symbolizes the unity of all Ukrainians in the confrontation with the enemy for the sake of a single goal – the fight for a sovereign, integral and independent Ukraine, on behalf of the common victory.

 

The armor plate contains signatures of the heads of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, under whose leadership Ukraine resists the armed aggression of the enemy:

1. President of Ukraine – Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
2. Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov
3. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi
4. Head of the Department of the State Guard of Ukraine Serhiy Rud
5. Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Yuliia Laputina
6. Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky
7. Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Yuriy Lebid
8. Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhii Deineko
9. Head of the National Police of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko
10. Head of the Security Service of UkraineVasyl Malyuk
11. Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Serhiy Kruk
12. Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov
13. Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Serhiy Shaptala
14. Deputy Prime Minister – Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk
15. Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine Rustem Umerov

 

Oleksandr Kovalchuk (born in 1974) — Ukrainian public figure, politician, contributor, and people’s deputy of Ukraine of the 9th convocation.
Іnitiator and manager of the «ArtArmor» project.
Ideologist and сo-founder of the Charitable organization «Charity foundation «UKRAINE FOR HEROES», which operates under the auspices of the President of Ukraine, and has united more than 5 000 volunteers. Since February 26, 2022, the fund has provided humanitarian aid worth more than UAH 100 million.
Ph.D. student of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
In 1998-1999, completed the course of the MAST International Program at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, USA).
In 2002, graduated from Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, USA).
The authorized representative of the Congress of Eastern European Initiatives (CISE).
Member of the board of the Rivne investment attraction and investor service agency «InvestInRivne».
Member of the working group on investment and economic development of the Rivne region.

IVAN MARCHUK

Stop the villains… 2022

 

30х26 cm.

 

Acrylic

 

«Give me a thousand years – I will paint the sky and I will not repeat myself!». Ivan Marchuk

 

This is the truth. Unique and profound in his genius, the Ukrainian Ivan Marchuk and his work, which was specially created for the «ArtArmor» project. This is a unique self-portrait of the artist, which is created with an exceptional technique of applying acrylic on fabric. The work is made on the reverse side of the armor plate, which makes it even more extraordinary in our collection. Еntanglement of thread strokes of different thicknesses creates at first glance a quite simple, but at the same time deep and light image. White on black grabs attention and pierces into the heart, reminding of the radiance of goodness that carries the image of a Ukrainian warrior. This light protects the truth and dispels the darkness of evil. The spirituality of Ukraine, its national art, the living genius of which is Ivan Marchuk, is a symbol of the national spiritual shield. Therefore, the work of «Stop the villains…» is armor within the armor, a synergy of the unity of the spiritual and the material – an artistic talisman and armor plate.

 

Ivan Marchuk (born in 1936) — contemporary Ukrainian artist, Honored Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the Shevchenko National Prize, and member of the Golden Guild of The International Academy of Contemporary Art in Rome.
The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ranked him as one of the Top 100 living geniuses (72nd place) in 2007.
In 2016, he was awarded the Order of Freedom for his significant personal contribution to state building, socio-economic, scientific-technical, and cultural-educational development of Ukraine, significant labor achievements, and high professionalism.
The artist created more than 5000 paintings. For half a century of creative activity, he had more than 150 monographic and 50 collective exhibitions. His works are in museums on five continents.

PRIMATE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UKRAINE HIS BEATITUDE METROPOLITAN OF KYIV AND ALL UKRAINE EPIPHANIY ARCHBISHOP OF RIVNE AND OSTROH HILARION ICONOGRAPHER ANDRIY OKHOTSKY

Arch-strategist Michael. 2022

 

30х26 cm.

 

Tempera

 

«Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.» (Revelation 12:7-9).

 

The icon «Archangel Mihail» is written on the armor plate and is a symbol of the victory of the Ukrainian army over the enemy. Just as Michael, the most important of the angels, defeats the ancient serpent, so our people will overcome universal evil. Its creators put this kind of symbolism into this work. The «ArtArmor» project presents for the first time an icon written on an armor plate that stopped enemy bullets. Faith that strengthens the spirit is also armor, it protects and saves our Heroes.
Bright deeds are blessed by heaven, believers say. It was possible to create an icon in a week and a half! These are record terms. The image of Archstrategist Michael was chosen from among others quickly and, apparently, not by chance! As if by chance, already in the process of work, interesting ideas, details, and additions to the icon appeared. One of them is the flame that comes from the dragon’s mouth… And it is in this mouth that Archstrategist Michael hit with a spear.

 

Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphaniy. Archbishop of Rivne and Ostroh Hilarion. Iconographer Andriy Okhotsky — The icon «Archangel Myhail» was created with the blessing of the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphaniy, the Head of the unified Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Taking part in the «ArtArmor» project, His Beatitude once again emphasized that today is the time of the newest warrior-heroes who stood up for the truth and Homeland. Our defenders are on the side of good, which means that the darkness will not be able to conquer them.
The Primate remarks: «With prayer, with love for God, for Ukraine, for our neighbors, let’s fight against evil and we will see the victory!».
The Archbishop of Rivne and Ostroh Hilarion also contributed to the creation of the icon «Archangel Myhail».