KIREIEV SERHII

Director of the Mukachevo Children's Art School named after Mihály Munkácsy.

The artist was born in Irshava, Transcarpathian region. In 1997, he graduated from the Art Faculty of the Precarpathian National University named after V. Stefanyk in Ivano-Frankivsk. However, art came to his life not at once. He jokes when calls it "a bad case", but at the same time notes: "Art came into my life so naturally that I understand that I cannot live without it. It "goes out" from me all the time. It's always been in me, but I used to do other things ... " Saying "other", Serhii Kireiev means serving in the army, Aviation School, almost 70 parachute jumps …

Serhii Kireiev allows himself to experiment with themes, plots and style. His work is uncommon. His canvases are unlike the works of other authors. With his figurative works, the artist seems to open the window in some other semi-fantastic world, the representatives of which are beautiful women. The image of a woman dominates in thematic works, but not everyone can unravel it. The artist skilfully makes focuses and put the details on the canvas which can be found and "read" for a long time. “This is a real pleasure when you have time to play with such things and pay attention to something, work out the idea. Freedom of creativity is a great happiness," the artist says.

However, even for the artist himself, it’s impossible to determine the style of his works. "I am more interested in the modern direction of fantasy than in abstraction. Perhaps this is figurative – there is such a contemporary word. Perhaps realism is on the verge of a fall. This is a kind of a fantasy and real world. I’ve been experimenting: why don’t I try this? The image is simply formed in my head."

The artist has the works in other genres – landscapes and still lifes. However, landscapes, typical for Transcarpathian artists, are not for Kireiev, there are almost none of them. He has his own style. "The range of colours in the artist's works is rich, he avoids dullness, perfectly works with the brush, reproducing the world that surrounds us on the canvas," an art critic Volodymyr Myshanych notes.

Works on military subjects deserve special attention – one can see the eyes war in them. "What does the war represent? I have a picture with the eyes of Asia and military helicopters that are landing. I spent a year and a half on the "excursion" in Kandahar (Afghanistan - Aut.). There is the valley of bridegrooms. It seems stones from the distance, these are skulls! How many young guys married and single did die there?"

An important part of the artist's life is the Children's Art School named after Mihály Munkácsy – this is, without exaggeration, his child, which takes away the lion's share of time.  Serhii Kireiev put a lot of efforts in it and, most importantly – his own soul.

Since 1991, he has participated in the city and regional exhibitions, collective exhibitions abroad. He presented his works at solo exhibitions as well. Moreover, Serhii repeatedly visits plein airs.

His works can be found in private collections in Poland, Hungary, Russia, the USA, as well as in the collection of the Schönborns Counts and The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

Text: Kseniia Shokina

© Art & Culture Foundation Brovdi Art