Mykola Malyshko's new project in Kiev Ya Gallery represents the second stage of the author's meditation upon the severe reality. There is a foundation in the center of his thoughts – the earth that reveals itself in prosaic and everyday things. The artist tries to see them as they are, to approach them not only from an emotionally-pictorial, “expressive” point of view, but considering a complicated function of thinking as well. So not a usual wood becomes a form to express thoughts, but such natural materials as chalk and clay that appeal to the people's primitive ways to interact with the environment.

From ancient times a human tries to perceive the truth with his mind, however continues to struggle in intellectual labyrinths. That is why every time “simple and obvious things” become remote, leaving more questions. And practice of the artist, who is related to the material, reveals its “Sisyphus's” side. As for Malyshko, it is a stone of structuralism, which becomes heavier with each new attempt of interaction with the material.

Formulation of notions – the artist's tools – expand as the painter gains more experience. They enrich, but give no answer. And the empirical experience of vision, touch, feeling inexorably remains behind the course of life. Nevertheless, admitting his work as a Sisyphus's one, Mykola Malyshko continues to listen to the silent voice of existence.

Olena Yegorushkina

The Apocalypse outdoors. Soil, clay, chalk, granite...

Earth, earth, earth – no matter how many times I repeat these words, the magic of earth doesn't disappear.

I longed, avoiding everything unique, supernatural, sophisticated, complicated, extravagant, - to approach, concentrate and see usual, simple, everyday things...

I aimed to paint what I saw and what I felt. In other words, to find a formulation and express it in a wordless way through a corresponding artistic form.

Speechless canvas, a color of clay, in a wider sense – not a color only, but texture, style, plasticity, transparency would openly speak and tell everything.

An attitude towards simple things says about a structural conception of the world that we live in. Human ability to think is a great and significant building on simple and usual things.

It is an attempt to understand structuralism in fine art while pondering, painting and acting.

Mykola Malyshko