Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur

Photo of young artist Yekaterina Belokur

Photo of young Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur (1900-1961)

Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur

Amazing and unique is painting of Yekaterina Belokur, a peasant from the village of Bogdanovka in the Kiev region. More than fifty years have passed since the death of the artist, but her contribution to the Soviet art seems more significant and original. And the country highly appreciated achievements of Yekaterina Belokur – she was awarded the honorary title of People’s Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, and the Honored worker of arts of the USSR. In her native village Bogdanovka appeared the monument to the outstanding master, as well as a museum of her works. Unfading flowers by Belokur praised the art of the Soviet Ukraine, and embodied the bright creativity of a peasant woman who devoted her talents to the beauty of her native land.

A bouquet of flowers. Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur (1900-1961)

Yekaterina has created a number of original portraits, and in later years, enthusiastically engaged in watercolor landscape. Yet in the history of Ukrainian art she came primarily as a “painter of flowers”, based on the wonderful experience of connection of folk “song” with the aesthetics and modern techniques of easel painting.

Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur

Apples

In addition to painting, the notes and letters of the artist exhibit her outstanding literary talent. She wrote about how since childhood, secluded somewhere in a corner, she was trying to coal on a random piece of cloth. She painted the hut, the mill, the trees (“and wept over them, and laughed as blessed that has managed to create so”). Also, she learned on her own how to pull canvas on a homemade stretcher, and to paint with watercolors on plain paper. With heartfelt gratitude she recalls rural teacher IG Kalita, whose library she saw for the first time in 1924, and especially the album of reproductions of paintings of Tretyakov gallery.

No matter what ranks and awards she received, she remained a simple village woman, who neither had the artistic education, nor even any school. However, God gave her great talent as a painter and a heart open to the beauty of her native land. Unfortunately, she didn’t experience family happiness. All the generosity of her soul and the power of love she splashed on the canvas, creating many beautiful masterpieces on the level of the best samples of the world of “naive art”.