The annual “Talents of KPI” competition is a notable event in the artistic life of Igor Sikorsky KPI. The works presented here are usually distinguished by their perfection and excellence. Sometimes, when looking at them, you would never think that they were created not by professional artists, masters of decorative and applied arts, or photographers, but by talented amateurs—students, scientists, and university employees. There are many authors whose names appear in the list of competition winners year after year. This testifies to their growing skill, desire to improve, and delight connoisseurs and fans with new creations.
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In particular, for the second year in a row, visitors have recognized the works of Tetyana Gavryliuk, a student at the Institute of IATE, as the best in computer graphics. This time, the portrait of Serhiy Paradzhanov was remembered by everyone who browsed the pages of the competition gallery, as the image perfectly captures the image of the colorful maestro – a brilliant director. It received the most positive comments and likes.
About the competition work. When I met the author, I was first interested in why she chose such a difficult topic for the competition. "Because Serhiy Paradzhanov (Sarkis Paradzhanian) is a legendary person. The 100th anniversary of his birth has been included in the UNESCO Calendar of Commemorative Dates for 2024-2025. And in August 2024, he will be awarded the title of “National Legend of Ukraine,” the student shares. The artist wrote about himself: “I am an Armenian who was born in Tbilisi and was imprisoned in Russia for Ukrainian nationalism.” In 1988, Serhiy Paradzhanov warned in an interview, in Ukrainian, by the way: “We must not allow a time to come when there will be no Ukrainian language, no Ukrainian songs, no Ukrainian sun, and no Ukrainian sunflowers.” His film “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors,” shot at the O. Dovzhenko Studio, has won 39 international awards. The film, which was released 60 years ago, is the first on the list of the 100 best films in the history of Ukrainian cinema.
In the photo: Portrait of S. ParajanovHe continues: "For me, works of art are inseparable from the personality of the author, where the artist is like a sponge and the environment is like water. The sponge absorbs the surrounding water and, when squeezed, releases what it has absorbed. Therefore, when I visit galleries or scroll through social media and a work catches my eye, I always try to find out more about the author. This allows me to better understand their creative intent. So after watching Parajanov's films, I became interested in publications about him, looked through the artist's photo shoots (very extravagant and creative) and studied everything related to him. I added some text to the competition entry so that people would see not a strange man with a bird on his head, but a person who loved Ukraine incredibly much.
After a moment's thought, she adds: "The start of a full-scale war has forced many to look back at their past and rethink the history of the Ukrainian people, which is full of pain and repression. Perhaps this inspired me to create a picturesque digital canvas as a kind of tribute and gratitude to the man and his work. Perhaps someone will also discover this genius thanks to my work."
Of course, I can't help but ask how the girl manages to combine her studies and creativity. “Creativity,” says Tetyana, "plays an important role in my life. Drawing is so ingrained in my identity that imagining myself without a brush in my hands is like imagining myself without an arm or a leg. I constantly visit various creative spaces and events, and participate in art projects, including volunteer projects."
The beginnings. The well-known phrase “everything starts in childhood” fits our heroine perfectly. “Back in kindergarten, my parents wanted to send me to folk dancing classes,” she recalls, "but it so happened that I ended up in an art club. That's how the story began, and it has been going on for 14 years now." After classes at the Palace of Children and Youth, the young artist continued her studies at the Andronik Lazarchuk Children's Art School in Kovel. This creative center, where young talents are nurtured, left her with the warmest memories, because she grew up there both as an artist and as a person, and the mentors there became almost like family. With their encouragement, she participated in city and regional creative competitions and received awards.
At university. It is logical to ask how such a creative personality ended up at KPI. “A year before my final exams, I graduated from art school and devoted all my time to studying,” explains Tetiana. "Drawing and creativity took a back seat, and I allowed myself to take a fresh look at other possible options for the future. Unexpectedly for myself and my family, six months before the entrance exams, I decided to choose a technical specialty." Mathematics played an important role here, to which the graduate devoted a lot of time and which revealed itself with unknown secrets and a unique beauty. In the end, the girl was enchanted by the endless possibilities of this science and fell in love with it. “And how could I not choose the best technical higher education institution in Ukraine, given my love for this precise discipline?” the student smiles cheerfully. “I am now studying software engineering. I had never done any programming before, and although it was difficult at first, I eventually got into it.”
How the portrait was created. “At first, I wanted to do a graphic work,” the artist reveals her “creative kitchen,” "but at that moment, the Muse came to me, so I decided to add color to the work. In fact, color is one of my favorite tools in painting. Ever since art school, I have loved painting. Even Olena Stepanivna, the director, said that I would make a strong painter and suggested that I pursue a higher education in art. So color is a wonderful tool for expressing emotions and narrative, but it is very difficult to master.
Choosing a palette that will emphasize the artistic concept is one of the most tedious sub-processes for me. After choosing an idea, composition, and initial sketch, I first think about one, the most “loud” emotion or word that would reflect the essence. It can be detachment, nostalgia, warmth, loneliness, etc. According to this word, the color associated with it “emerges.” I have always enjoyed struggling with the complexity of color.
Now I am trying to improve this skill both theoretically and practically. My favorite literature on this topic: “Color and Light” — a series from “From the Masters of Art,” “The Art of Color” by Johannes Itten, “The Anatomy of Color” by Patrick Beti, and another very good book, “Color and Light” by James Gurney. My little dream is to buy all the art and educational literature that exists. But for now, I am limiting myself to the ArtHuss publishing house.
Returning to my work for the KPI Talents competition, I wanted to convey the color of old films and photographs, but make it warmer and more welcoming. Paradjanian was an incredible and kind person. I needed to capture that.
The background also plays an extremely important role. It doesn't always have to be complex and plot-driven; sometimes using a simple color that fills the space and envelops the character is enough, but it has to be part of the concept, not just laziness. This is not appropriate in this work. The background should be light, but not too prominent. Its purpose is to emphasize the character, not to take all the attention.
I would also like to add that the hardest part was drawing the glass with flowers. Overall, I am very happy with this work and consider it strong."
Now and then. As a rule, at the end of the conversation, people ask about plans and dreams. But my interlocutor anticipated the question. “Despite the fact that there is a lot of ‘art’ in my life, I am very glad that my professional activity is different,” the student concludes. "My biggest fear is burning out. This applies to both artistic and engineering activities, and this contrast is very helpful, allowing me to switch between them.“ She admits dreamily: ”I have several cool art projects in mind that I would like to implement. Maybe someday I'll have my own exhibition."