War always means pain, tears and losses. What is it like to live during a war? In different ways. On the one hand, life goes on, we go about our daily routine, work, study, take care of our loved ones. On the other hand, we change every day, every hour, every explosion. It should be noted that contemporary art, in particular, has become a therapeutic outlet for pain and hatred. After all, artists have a unique ability to see the world through the prism of creativity, to feel and interpret complex events deeply, turning them into emotionally intelligible works.
Since 2015, Serhii Huliievych, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and a lecturer at the Department of Graphics at the School of VPI, has created many series of prints on the themes of war, patriotism, and human experience. He submitted the results of his creative activity for 2023 to the KCSA competition. These are thirteen art exhibitions in the graphic arts section. Of which two were personal, six were international and five were all-Ukrainian! At the same time, three graphic works (‘Interventionist’, ‘Devastation’, ‘Struggle’) were created in the technique of metal engraving. You can look at them indefinitely, enlarging the image and finding new details. Indeed, his works of reflection, echoing the feelings of the viewers, help to comprehend complex realities, arouse empathy, preserve memory and history, and encourage action.
The artist is also a graduate of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. ‘I got acquainted with the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 2011,’ says Serhii, ’when I attended preparatory courses in fine arts initiated by the Department of Graphics of the Publishing and Printing Institute (not yet an Educational and Scientific Institute at that time). In 2016, he received a bachelor's degree, and in 2018 - a master's degree. Since 2018, he has worked as an assistant at the department, and later as a lecturer. At the same time, in 2021, he entered the postgraduate course at the Institute of Contemporary Art Problems of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine and successfully defended his dissertation in 2024. I started my creative career long before the KPI, but the Publishing and Printing Institute provided a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the engraving technique, which I have been working in ever since.’
At the same time, Serhii Huliievych is not only a practicing artist, but also a young scientist. He has published scientific articles in professional journals and participated in national and international scientific conferences. He continues to research the topic of the war in Ukraine and Russia's long-term imperial policy, the cyclical nature of historical events, the nature of hatred and the phenomenon of natural dehumanisation as a result of propaganda.
It is quite obvious that living through the war also means rethinking one's life and problems. Many are now on the frontline, others work, volunteer and continue to create Ukrainian culture, thanks to the Armed Forces. After all, we are all well aware that the war in Ukraine is not about administrative borders, but about our souls, our minds, and the fact that we have our own culture, language and identity.