A personal exhibition “Graphic Miniatures” by a famous Odessa artist, the People’s Artist of Ukraine Mykola Prokopenko. The exhibition was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the artist and presented within the museum art project of the series of art exhibitions “Laureates of the Regional Award in Fine Art and the Study of Art named after Oleksandr Osmerkin”. The art project is aimed at popularization of the creative work of artists – laureates of the ward in the nominations “national tradition” and “modern tendencies”; it presupposes organization of personal exhibitions and publication of catalogs with articles on art history about artists and with reproductions of their best works.
   Prokopenko Mykola Mykolaiovych was born on August 17, 1945 in the village of Lymanske, Reniisky district, the Odesa Oblast. He lives and works in Odesa. Graduated from Odesa State Art College named after M.B.Hrekov (1971) and Kyiv State Art Institute, now the National Academy of Visual Art and Architecture (1977). The People’s Artist of Ukraine (2015). A member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. A member of the National Union of Theatre Workers of Ukraine. A laureate of Kirovohrad Regional Award in Fine Art and the Study of Art named after Oleksandr Osmerkin in the nomination “modern tendencies” (2018). The academician of the International Academy of Arts and Literature “Fatyan”, the academician of the International Yekaterynska Academy of Arts, and Master of Painting Association "Freundschaft-Bruke" Gloria E.V. (Germany), honorary freeman of Chornomorsk, the Odesa Oblast, and the town of Ochakiv, the Mykolaiv Oblast.
    A painter, graphic artist, book graphic and illustrator, fine art restorer of easel, tempera, oil, and monumental painting, artist and decorator. A laureate, diploma winner, and winner of international, all-Ukrainian, and regional exhibitions, as well as international biennale and triennale of graphic art and book illustration of printed and script books. The artist has had more than 100 personal exhibitions. The works are kept in the museum and galleries collections, collections of the national libraries, and private collections in many countries.
    The works are characterized by individual art style based on traditions of Baroque plastics of Ukrainian Modern, symbols of folk art, and avant-garde searches of the European artists of the 20th century. Decorativeness, monumentality, comicality of the world perception in which steppe, sea, woman are the basis of the Ukrainian mentality of the artist. The energy of his works impresses, and art images make you plunge into the philosophy of existence.
In 2017, the artist’s personal exhibition was held in Kropyvnytskyi, in the gallery “Yelisavethrad” and Regional Art Museum, now the Museum of Arts. That was also when Mykola Prokopenko visited our museum and presented the catalog of his works and a painting. The next year, at the support of the owner of the gallery “Yelisavethrad” Mykola Tsukanov, he handed more than 50 graphic miniatures of 1985-1998 to the museum.
    The works, made in the mixed technique with grey and colored pencils, markers, watercolors, gouache, and Indian ink, are being exhibited for the first time in the museum at the personal exhibition. Each of these unique art gems is a unique art work and could be the basis for the painting composition. The size of the works is up to 10 cm on the larger side.