Yuri Kozlyuk

“Unreal sensuality and emotionalism make the pictures of Yuri Kozlyuk very attractive”. —New York Times, july, 2003

I always thought that painting has to be beautiful. That’s where, from my point of view is the subject core is based. Otherwise, where is the sense? You wouldn’t listen to the music if the sound is not nice for your ears. I don’t mean such a trivial beauty, by which all the art market is loaded.
As it seems to me, during the époque of standardization are only not the ordinary view in combination with fine form and individual color impression making the illustrated subject as the real master peace.
It is always important for me the not indifferent attitude forward the picture, the “basic” motivation, which drives the artist, making the art process full of sense, as well the life…

 

Yuri Kozlyuk

About the works

Yuri Kozlyuk was born in Leningrad, but the child-hood and the youth he spent in Berdichev, in Ukraine — the motherland of his father, where his artist view of the world was created. Early impression of the colorful and reach Ukraine nature was reflected in the future works, which are very colorfully intense and expressed. As the artist says “the basic motivation” of his works is always connected with nature observation and impression. The early works of the artist are very lyrical and sentimental. You could feel haw the artist wants to impress the seen moment and leave his own impression on the canvas. (The pictures “Walk”, “The poets Rose”, “Zamsara”). The light lyrics and touching attitude forward the nature has became in the future the main motive of his works during Crimea plain air (1990—1994). During this period the following pictures were created “Yard”, “Breakfast”, “Rock”, “ Palms”, “Beach”, etc.

Yuri Kozlyuk has never limited his picturesque search only by plan air. Such pictures as “Floxes still-life”, “Ambre” and “Terrace” have very decorative character. Combining in own works plan air and decorative approach the artist creates in his canvases very expressive, colorful and emotional surroundings, his own inimitable world, such as the represented terrace, or the park nearby St.Petersburg, or the island Tsaritsino, or the sunflowers and the gardens of his child-hood.

Starting from the year1997 Yuri lives and works in St.Petersburg, developing his own skills. But always returning to the base of his works he draws the Ukrainian motives in such a manner that looking at the clouds of his pictures, it seems that dreamy Ukrainian is making smoke rings from his pipe…

Agnes Sitenson
(the researcher of the artist pictures)

Copying

The artist Yuri Kozlyuk has paid a lot of attention to the copying of the old school masters. In the year 2002—2003 he had worked in the Government Hermitage, Russian museum, Tretyakov gallery copying classics. Work in the museums, touch to the pictures of the masters has developed personal potential of the artist. In the year 2004 the artist had got a proposal to draw the picture “Dream of God” (size 92x190) of Borisov-Musatov from the water-colour sketch, from the reservation fund of Tretyakov gallery. Please, let us say a bit more about this unusual task in comparison with traditional copying.

The artists Borisov-Musatov draw the sketch “Dream of God” as a sketch of painting. The idea was not realized cause of author’s death. “Dream of God” is a very symbolic master peace, something like requiem. All the canvas is full of fast running being spirit. That is why the author chooses as a key motive the May period in the nature as a fast running period. The women images in the front (the artist mother and the sister are their prototypes) are also symbolize the fade ness and passing away. The God figure on the pedestal — is the over coffin with a personal signature. And only water in the front reminds about eternal life flow…

From the composition point of view the sketch “Dream of God” is built on a very not traditional manner. All the details of the composition (forest, meadow, old tower, tree stems, reservoir in the front) are placed with a mathematical punctuality in such a manner that creates spherical surfaces. Borisov-Musatov supposed the painting in a circle hall and used the lens effect while drawing the sketch, in such a manner that picture looks voluminous as a result of optical effects.

Yuri Kozlyuk had managed to show the uniqueness of the master peace and draw the picture “Dream of God” closed to the author’s idea.

Placard

In the beginning of the works (it’s the period from 1988 till the 1991) Yuri Kozlyuk successfully started in the sphere of the social, political and theatrical placard. His placard series “About the works freedom” were nominated by the VDNH USSR silver medal in the year 1988. The artist had cooperated for a long time with the famous ballet choreographer Georgy Kovtun and created placards to his ballets: “Romeo and Juliett” , “Rasputin”, “The sacred spring”, “Maugly”, “Valpurgiev night” featured in Kiev opera and ballet youth theatre. In Odessa opera and ballet theater Yuri Kozlyuk had worked on the placards to the following performances: “Gizel”, “Carmen suite”, “Otello”. In the year 1999 Yuri created the placards to the performances “Servants” and “Solomeya”, based on the proposal of Roman Viktyuk, the famous theater producer.

Date/place of birth
29th of March, year 1965 in Leningrad
Education
Graduated painting faculty of Zheleznogorodky art college (May, 1987)
Awards
VDNH USSR silver medal for the placard series about the art freedom (March, 1988)
Rank
Member of St. Petersburg Artist Union (March, 2000)
Personal exhibitions
  • Kochubey Palace in Pushkin (October, 1997)
  • Trade house “Elegant” (August, 1999)
  • Blue drawing-room of SPb AU (September, 2001)
  • Exhibition center gallery of SPb AU (June—July, 2004)
Joint exhibitions
  • Grand-hotel “Europe” (July, 1999)
  • Kochubey Palace in Pushkin (October, 1999)
Exhibitions
  • Autumn exhibition in SPb AU (November, 1999)
  • Exhibition of new members of SPb AU (Feruary, 2000)
  • Moscow international art saloon in Moscow (March, 2000)
  • Spring exhibition in SPb AU (November, 2000)
  • Exhibition “Moscow - St. Petersburg”
  • Manezh, Moscow (December, 2000)
  • Spring exhibition in SPb AU (2000)
  • Vth international art fair in Central Artist House (CDH) in Moscow (May, 2001)
  • Autumn exhibition in SPb AU (November, 2001)
  • Exhibition “70 years of SPb AU” (July, 2002)
  • Spring exhibition in SPb AU (2006)
  • Exhibition “75 years LOSHU” (November, 2008)
Collections
Yuri Kozlyuk works are kept in private collections in United States, France, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Russia. In particular: in collections of “Tsaritsino Government museum- reserve, Pharmaceutical company “SIA International” (Moscow), Elena Marks (United States), D. Alieva (“Lukoil”, Moscow), N.Kudryavtseva (“Norilsky Nikel”, Moscow), Roman Viktyuk (Moscow), etc
Professional activity
  • Painting (portrait, landscape, still-life)
  • Museum copying
  • Theater placard
  • Decorative interior painting