Draft:Mykhailo Krasnyk

Mykhailo Krasnyk (born 18 November 1959, Rodatychi, Lviv region, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian painter and graphic artist, one of the founders of semiotic abstraction and assemblage in Ukrainian art. His works include experiments with the archetypes of folk art, landscapes, and metaphysical fantasies.

Early life and work
He was born on 18 November 1959 in Rodatychi, Lviv region, Ukraine. From 1975 to 1978, he studied art privately with Stepan Trush. .

In 1977, he moved to Lviv and started working as a restorer at the National Museum in Lviv. Mykhailo Krasnyk's work was also influenced by Lviv art critic Andrii Dorosh and his circle of neo-modernist artists. They promoted the culture of free expression and worked in the fields of abstract expressionism and existential art. Since 1980, he has been participating in exhibitions in Ukraine, and since 1990, he began to exhibit abroad.

From 1986 to 1993, he was a member of the artistic society ‘Shlyakh’. Since 1994, he has been a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.

Characteristics of artistic expression
At the beginning of his career, he worked in the field of free, dynamic abstraction. He used color, line, stain, and texture to convey emotions. He experimented with various techniques: handmade graphics, monotypes, and color linocuts.

Krasnyk has never had an academic education, so his art is unaffected by formal rules. He combines symbols and associations in his works. He uses various materials, creates textures, and reliefs, draws on glass, and works with etching, linocut, and collage techniques. In his graphics, he uses objects from everyday life like scissors, newspaper clippings, candy wrappers, keys, and postcards. His work is influenced by oriental, Japanese, and Chinese art.

Participation in exhibitions
The artist's works were presented at more than 300 international and national exhibitions. Since 1991, he has held over 15 solo exhibitions in Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and Netherlands. His works can be found in 80 museums and galleries around the world.

Solo exhibitions

 * 1991 - Gallery Petrograd in Hamburg, Germany
 * 1992 - HammerCenter, Moscow, Russia
 * 1993 - Khmelnytsky Museum of Modern Art, Ukraine, Lugansk Museum of Modern Art, Ukraine, Gallery N.N., Lublin, Poland
 * 1994 - NationalMuseum, Lviv, Ukraine
 * 1995 - Lviv Art Gallery, Ukraine
 * 1996 - Gerdan Gallery, Ukraine
 * 1998 - Galerie Pavlovsky, Utrecht, Netherlands
 * 1999 - Gerdan Gallery,   L’viv, Ukraine, Irena Gallery, Kiev, Ukraine
 * 2005 - Dzyga Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine
 * 2008 - Galeria Rynek, Olsztyn, Poland
 * 2009 - Slyvka Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine
 * 2011 - “1974-1978” Dzyga Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine, “1980-1990” Dzyga Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine
 * 2012 - “частина III, 2000 р.р. ” Dzyga Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine
 * 2016 - “Heri Bouman” gallery, Lviv, Ukraine

Awards

 * Awarded by the Organizing Committee of International Biennale “IMPREZA” (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine);
 * Diploma in the Category of Graphic Art (Ukraine );
 * Awarded by Diplom of  International Biennale “IMPREZA” with category of Painting Diploma of the Laure-ate of Mykhailo Krasnyk’s Exhibition, (Ukraine);
 * Awarded by the Salon D’Art Contemporain with the Medal, Paris, France ;
 * Awarded by the Art International Turkish Grameen Micro-Credit Art Biennale “Tisva” (Turkey);
 * Awarded by the Honorary Mark “For achievement in the development of culture and art” of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine;
 * Diploma and Medal “To the 100th birthday anniversary of Kukuruza, Museum of Pencil Artist KukurudzaAktyube, (Kazahstan);
 * Diploma of  “Autumn Salon Exhibition” (Lviv, Ukraine);
 * Mention for outstanding artistic achievement at the First International Competition, Exlibris Association of Vojvodina, (Serbia);
 * 10th International Miniature Art Biennial of Ville-Marie, Engraving Award Duhamel-Ouest Bursary, (Canada);
 * Partisipated in Art association “Shlakh” 1989, 1990, 1992. Exhibition National museum in Lviv.

List of selected works

 * 1986 - ‘Bent’, linocut
 * 1986 - ‘Autumn motifs’
 * 1987 - ‘From Prushnina’ (series)
 * 1989 - ‘The Violinist’
 * 1991 - ‘Family’, etching
 * 1991 - ‘Composition’
 * 1991 - ‘Indicator’
 * 1997 - ‘Harmony of incompatible things’