Skrypka Vasyl

Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (1993).

Vasyl Skrypka was born on 10 August 1960 in Rosishka village of Rakhiv district, Transcarpathia. His mother died early, and his father was repressed during the Stalin regime for pro-Ukrainian views – he was sent to Siberian camps, but he managed to return.

Vasyl Skrypka obtained art education at the Lviv State Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts (Faculty of Furniture and Interior Design) graduating from it in 1988. Lviv artists Roman Selskyi and Karlo Zvirynskyi had a significant influence on the artist's creative style. As to Transcarpathian artists, Vasyl Skrypka was fond of Fedir Manailo. After studying in Lviv, the artist returned to his native village. There he worked as a teacher and a shepherd on polonyna.

Vasyl Skrypka's creativity is a traditional realistic painting combining expression and abstract form. "In his paintings, there is an interesting synthesis – worked out realistic painting, which can easily grow into an abstract form," his old friend, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine Oleksandr Hromovyi said. “Vasyl Skrypka’s style is to some extent similar to Adalbert Boretskyi who perfectly knew the coloured form. But one has to be able to combine and make a sensation of the landscape or still life. Not everyone can do it. Vasyl Skrypka is one of the most talented in our generation of artists, and I would say that the most underestimated."

Vasyl Skrypka is an extremely qualified and non-standard artist. “He has his own world and he lives in it,” O. Hromovyi said. “He works on the sensual level because he has a great God-given talent.” This is confirmed by the story told by numerous artists when an art critic from St. Petersburg saw the work of Vasyl Skrypka, she called him a "Carpathian Roerich". She even invited him to St. Petersburg in order to organize his exhibition and help him to "stand on his own feet" financially.  However, Vasyl refused – he loves his land and native mountainous of Rakhiv region too much. The artist was repeatedly asked to work in Uzhhorod, but he refused, saying that he could work only in his native village.

He creates mainly with oil on canvas or cardboard. According to O. Hromovyi, V. Skrypka could paint on anything. "For example, he tears off a piece of cardboard from a box and paints on it. He likes experimenting – he could even stir up some soil with paints and use such a mixture for work," the artist says.

An active participant in art exhibitions since 1984. He participated in collective regional and national art exhibitions, as well as in international plein airs and biennales. Personal exhibitions were held in Lviv and Uzhhorod. The last exposition of the artist’s works took place in August 2010 at the gallery "Uzhhorod".

Works by Vasyl Skrypka are stored in private collections and museums, in particular, in Lviv and Sumy.