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"Images of the Ukrainian soul"

Alexander Okhapkin was born on January 28, 1962 in Zhytomyr. He received his secondary artistic education at the Dnipropetrovsk Art School, where he studied in 1978-1982. After graduating from the school he moved to Kirovograd, taught at the children's art school of Alexandria. In 1984 I entered the Faculty of Painting of the Kyiv State Art Institute (now the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture of Ukraine). Graduated from the Artistic Institute in August 1990, after which he returned to the city of Alexandria.

To date, Alexander Igorovich lives in the city of Alexandria, works as a senior lecturer at the Alexandria children's art school, executes orders for newly built churches, for whom the icons are written, participates in the painting of church interiors.

The works of Alexander Okhapkin are kept in the funds of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the State Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, private collections of Germany, France, Poland, Canada, England, Australia, USA, Italy and other countries. The icons painted by the artist became the decoration of many churches and cathedrals of Ukraine and the world, including St. Vladimir's Church in Paris and St. Yury's Cathedral (Lviv), St. Nicholas Church in Kiev at Askold's Tomb, in the churches of Alexandria and the town of Kropivnitsky. In creative tandem, together with the director of the Alexandrian art school, Stepan Fedorovich Nikolenko performed paintings, wooden and metal-plastic compositions for the children's library. Yuri Gagarin, wrote icons and plot compositions for the Church of the Intercession and the Church of St .. Anastasia and Theodore in Alexandria, icons and plot compositions for the church of Peter and Paul of the city of Kropyvnitsky.

Alexander Okhapkin also works in the field of easel painting in the genres of still life, landscape, portrait. Actively collaborates with the publishing house named Elena Teligi as a talented artist illustrator.

The exhibition activity of Alexander Okhpkin is quite fruitful. Since 1992 more than forty personal exhibitions have been opened.

Art historians call the work of Alexander Okhapkin "religious poetry in the colors."

 Professor of the History of Art of the Kiev Theological Academy, Dmitry Stepovyk, in due time noted that the artist does not want to simply follow the old icons, although he does not want to radically distance himself from the tradition laid down, even in the Roman and Byzantine Empires. In his writings, he seeks to find the middle ground - between tradition and his own philosophical attitude toward the icon as one of the phenomena of perception of God and His saints through vision.

In his writings of sacred content, traditional techniques of ancient icon painting and contemporary performance are synthesized talently, and this style is called - a creative icon put on a national basis.

In 2016, Alexander Okhapkin received the honorary title of the Honored Artist of Ukraine.

At the personal exhibition of the works of the artist - icon painter, the honored artist of Ukraine Alexander I. Okhapkin, "Images of the Ukrainian soul", 33 paintings can be exhibited in the regional art museum, where the artist's indispensable attribute is the image of flowers, embroidered Ukrainian towels and embroidered towels.

This year's exhibition is dominated by the image of the Virgin with her son and angels, who are written as entirely earthly people. This is a wonderful ode to a Ukrainian woman who has always been perceived in Ukraine as a guardian of the family, a Cossack woman, a patriot woman: "The Holy Annunciation" (2013), "The Pysanka" (2013-2014), "The Appearance of the Holy Icon" (2014) Hairbrushes bloomed "(2014-2015)," Mother of God - for happiness and goodness "(2015)," God Mother Mammal "(2015)," Mother of God - Easter joy "(2015)," Not sucking cup "(2015) "Flower Guns" (2014-2015), "God's Mother." Easter "(2016)," Give Happiness, God ... "(2016)," And I will have a son and I will have "(2016)," At the Savior "(2016)," And the pigeons flutter "(2016)," In the garden " "(2016)," By reading "(2016)," Transcarpathian Mother of God "(2016-2017)," My Mother's Soul "(2016-2017)," Holy Protection "(2017)," Makoviy. August. Savior "(2017)," Holy Family among the Guns "(2015)," Ruzhi "(2013-2017)," Voloshka "(2013-2014).

A separate unit is presented works: "Christ is the winegrower" (2001), "Jesus Christ" (2006), "Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2012), "Spas" (2014).

The idea of intercession is embodied in the rather widespread and respected saints in Ukraine: "St. Mykolai the Wonderworker "(2015)," St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called "(2013-2014)," St. Panteleimon Healer "(2015), "St. Equal-apostolic Grand Duke Volodymyr "(2014-2016)," Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sofia "(2016).

The main place in the exposition is the plot work on the poetry of T. Shevchenko "My Dumas! My Summer ... "(2016).

The artist tries to convey to the viewer a sense of grace of spirit and depth of inner peace. In works, a lot of purity, gold, light of heaven and earth, Divine and solar, is a game of light, reliefly applied layers of paint, contrasting colors. The propagation of light in space, the shining of Divine power, glory and grace - is also one of the elements of the artist's art.

It is also symbolic that Alexander Igorovich presents unique patterns of Ukrainian icon painting, enriched with unique authorial interpretation, which is very important in the conditions of the spiritual revival of the Ukrainian nation, the awakening of the gene of the Ukrainian Cossacks and other forms of free-thinking, the reference to undisclosed or frankly hidden pages of our history, authenticity , own spiritual sources.

 Another important point is that the art of a master who has found his own unique presentation of religious themes has become his original business card, which allows the author to accurately identify the author in his works

About the painting of Alexander Okhapkin one can say that his canvases embody a dream about Ukraine, the wishes of Ukrainians to live in Ukraine in which the sincerity of people and mutual care would overcome all discord and alienation, bring understanding, fill the space with kindness, joy, warmth, light and love. to the native land.

The works inspire and affirm the idea that spiritual values such as Love, Goodness, Spirituality are eternal.

 

Elena Stepanok - Head of the Department of Scientific
and Educational Work Kirovograd Regional Art Museum