Oles Semernya

Oles Semernya (Олесь Семерня; 2 August 1936 – 6 July 2012) was a Ukrainian artist, working mainly in Ukraine and Moldova. He is one of the most prominent representatives of Ukrainian naive painting of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. He is the author of more than 600 paintings. Oles Semernya was a member of the Union of Folk Art Masters of Ukraine and a member of the Moldovan and Ukrainian Charity Foundation of Professional Artists and Craftsmen "Renaştere-Відродження" (Renaissance).

Childhood
Oles Semernya was born on 2 August 1936 in the village of Mykolaivka, Berdyansk Raion Berdiansk Raion of Zaporizhzhia region. He spent his childhood in the Mariupol Raion. His mother was Maria Kasian, and his father was Fyodor Semernya. In the late 1940s, Oles, his mother and younger brother were sent to the city of Jezkazgan Karaganda region of Kazakhstan (near Baikonur) for the fact that his mother worked as a nurse in a German hospital during the German occupation. Later, he served in the Soviet Army there (1954–1956).

The first works
Semernya painted since his childhood. After his military service, the longing for Ukraine had led Semernya to the city of Voznesensk, Mykolaiv Oblast. There he got married and started painting. He became a member of the creative association "Prybuzhia" where his first solo exhibition was held in 1970. In 1977 he received the title of "Master of Folk Art." However, almost no one (including his wife who was a specialist in medicine) did not appreciate his creativity. Not finding support and understanding, Oles ran away from civilization and started living as a vagrant, further he found home in the village of Kriva Pustosh, and later left Ukraine, as he had neither own property nor a workshop.

Moldavian period, 1980s
For a long time Semernya lived and worked in Bălți (Moldova, then the Moldavian SSR), where numerous of his paintings came into being, of which – "Old Town", "Tarutine", "Water carrier", "Altar". However, the artist did not break ties with Ukraine. The first exhibition was held in Mykolaiv in the early 80s, which was organized by local art critic Valery Malina. Real discovery occurred after the exhibition of the artist at the Institute of Art Studies, Folklore and Ethnology of the Academy of Sciences (1982) and the Writers' Union of Ukraine (1983). Further, works by Semernya, as well as by Ivan Marchuk and others, were exibited at the library of Kyiv Medical Institute, at the Institute of Physics and semiconductors of Ukraine with the active support of the chairman Pavlo Zahrebelnyi (1983.1986), in the gallery of "Or" (head M. Volga) and at the Museum of Folk Architecture and Folkways of Ukrainian SSR (1988). The exhibition in Kyiv House of Trade Unions gained wide publicity in 1990.

The film
1988 talented director-operator Leonid Anichkin created a unique film about the life and work of the artist "Charmed wheel of life" (A. Solopay cinematographer, screenwriter Lysenko, Anatoly Cherchenko composer Lazarus-Dikareva Tatiana State kinofotofonoarhiv number 11045), there – famous figures of Ukrainian culture have had their say about the work of Oles Semernya: Paul Zagrebelnyi, Yuri Pokalchuk, Ivan Malkovich, Valery Malina (discoverer of Semernya's talent), Nicholas Xherbak, Oksana Zabuzhko, Valentin Lysenko, Roxanne Gorbovets.

Kyiv
In 1992 he carried out one of the most interesting collective presentation titled "Our roots and sources." Harmoniously united works of Vladimir Kabachenko (Odesa), Fyodor Panciuc (Vinnitsa), Olesya Semerni (Mykolaiv – then he lived in Voznesensky) and Anatoly Furlet (Khmelnitsky). It was a strange quartet who sang Ukrainian folk song, so bright in color, informative on the basis of their national folklore and elegant for obrazotvoreniem. In 1994, a group of Kyiv artists appealed to the Department of Culture of the Pechersk district administration with a proposal to turn the churchyard, one of the most beautiful streets of the Old Kyiv, Street Art. Received support and examined the non-residential premises, which were extremely run, won the tender on a competitive basis and on its own to make repairs, design. In the result we set up "Cultural and artistic center for Kostyolna" – 7 art galleries and 8 creative workshops. With gallery "Gryphon" Oles Semernya starts cooperation, exposing his works there. The summer of 1996 Semernya's working participate in the I-st International Art Festival, which took place in the capital's Ukrainian House. Of 52 domestic and foreign galleries exhibition gallery "Griphon" with Semernya's works was nominated as the best and was awarded the Grand Prix. At the same time received an invitation from Harvard University to the exhibition in the United States. At Harvard flew colorful birds, who were born in independent Ukraine. In 1996 works of maestro surprised Americans in Harvard, New York (Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations and at the Ukrainian Institute of America (the neighborhood on the prestigious Fifth Avenue Metropolitenmuzeem), Washington (Embassy of Ukraine in the USA), Philadelphia (in Ukrainian cultural center).

Cooperation with publishers
Starting from the 1990s, the artist collaborates with publishers. In 1991, the publishing of "Molod'" is working on a magazine for primary school age "Sunflower" – 1991, No. 2. After becoming acquainted with Ivan Malkovich illustrates books for his publisher "A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA" – "Oh, you, cat Mark" (1993), "The Candle of the snow".

Sokiryany
At the beginning of the third millennium Semernya returns to Ukraine and accidentally buys a house in Sokiryany in Bukovina. This painted and decorated with the artist's hands hut became a happy haven for ever restless artist. Artist acquainted with the artists Sokiryanschiny in particular Valentina Yarova, participates in regional exhibitions, in particular, to the Day of the artist, visited the regional center for children and youth. Created the work "The Brotherhood", "Christmas", "Birthday", "Welcome", "Cossack Song", "Santa Moldovans", "Harvest", "Mother's Song" ... In 2007, an exhibition at the Chernivtsi Regional Art Museum during which represented 31 of the work written in the last 20 years. In 2009 in Chisinau held a solo artist exhibition "Paleta Ucraineană a Moldovei – Ukrainian palette of Moldova" dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Foundation of the Moldovіan Ukrainian of Professional Artists and Craftsmen "Renaştere-Renaissance".

Review of publications

 * Regularly published in the press review of the artist's work.
 * 2003 magazine "Ukrainian Culture" published articles Ivan Malkovich "Cossack Mamai of Ukrainian painting" and Anatoly Bruce "The thrill of the soul"
 * 2006 to about 70th anniversary of the artist published an article by A. Yaremchuk "With net praistokov"
 * In 2007, JF Kitsul for Chernivtsi Art Museum organizes booklet "Semernya Oles F." for the exhibition of works by the artist.
 * 2008 journal "Museum Lane" publishes a review of Nina Petrusovoi "Sokiryany Bukovina: Oles Semernya".
 * 2011 Online Kamenetz-Podolsk National University named after Ivan Ogienko published a senior scientific researcher of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova V. Rokachuk article "ALEXANDER Semernya"

Last years of life
The artist was diagnosed with cancer, which he fought bravely. Coming to Kyiv (or from Moldova, from Bukovina), it certainly feeds the soul of Ivan Gonchar's Museum, in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The latest solo exhibition of his work took place in the summer of 2011 in Kyiv gallery "Gryphon". For admirers of his talent it was a holiday, because meter recently operated, and the disease does not retreating. He worked as an artist until his death in his hut in the Bessarabian Sokiryany. Over the grave of Oles Semernya eternal memory is a cross, made by his own sketches.

Philosophical views – "Cossack Mamay of Ukrainian art"
Oles Semernya – one of the most enigmatic creative figures of Ukraine. Oles becomes typical free Cossack, the defense of the Ukrainian people in one person. It is called a philosopher-recluse, because the artist lived in the countryside – and worked there, abandoning public life. This style of life, the artist explained that for him the whole world opens up when he is in front of the easel for which he created a bright and colorful work on the themes of national life. For their freedom-loving life picture of the implementation in the public manner Oles was nicknamed "Cossack Mamay of Ukrainian art."

Legacy
After his death, a powerful part of his paintings (70), will be the subject of a wide enjoyment of the human community. Oles Semernya's works are in private collections from 26 countries, in particular Paul Zahrebelnyi, Oles Gonchar, Dmitry Pavlychko, Ivan Malkovich, Nicholas Volga and other prominent figures of Ukrainian culture and museums: the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Ukrainian Folk Art Museum, the Museum of Folk Life and Architecture (Pirohovo, Kyiv) and many others. Bukovina Society of the city, now founded a Sokiryany museum of Oles Semernya in the house where he lived and worked as an artist.