Vasyl Ponikarov

Vasyl Ponikarov (; ; 26 August 1929 – 16 May 2014) was a Soviet and Ukrainian artist, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.

Biography Vasyl Ponikarov was born on 26 August 1929 in the village Dolynske of Ananiv Raion of Odesa Oblast (Ukraine). His childhood coincided with the years of the Second World War. After seven years of schooling, he left his native village. After the end of the war Vasyl continued his studies firstly in the A.S. Makarenko Tiraspol Pedagogical College (1947–1948), lately in the M.B. Grekov Odesa Art school (1949–1958).

In the Art school his pedagogues were M.Y. Zhuk, , L.O. Tokareva-Aleksandrovych. Leonid Ovsiiovych Muchnyk while getting acquainted with the works of Vasyl advised him: "You should to paint in watercolor. As I think, it's yours". Ponikarov was called up for military service after the first course in the Art school. He was doing his military service in Yevpatoria. The military base where Vasyl was in the service appreciated a talent of young artist by entrusting to his charge all visual agitation (leaflets, placards). His gift and high appreciation of his effort as an artist culminated in increase of a duration of military service. Vasyl Ponikarov served longer than needed – three and one half years instead of three years. After the demobilisation Vasyl continued his studies within the walls of the same Art school in Odesa .

Three years after graduation from the Art school Vasyl Ponikarov becomes a student of Moscow Polygraphic Institute (1961–1970). Over this years his pedagogues were Y.K. Burdzhelyan, B.A. Sholokhov, G.T. Goroshchenko. Entering of Vasyl into the Artists' Union of the USSR (1971) was recommended by , , A.L. Yakovlev who remarked considerable growth of mastery of the artist after graduation from the Institute. Background of Vasyl Ponikarov already consisted of art works that had been exposed in all of the USSR.

From 1980 onwards Vasyl Ponikarov painted on journeys on the ocean liner "Fedor Shalyapin", where he served as a staff artist. to obtain white color. White color is unpainted paper.

Many of Ponikarov landscape paintings pictured Odesa and its environs since almost all his life was connected with this region. Examples of those works: «Arcadia» (1984), «In Odesa Courtyard» (1984), «Winter on the Big Fountain» (1986), «Odesa. Proletarian boulevard» (1986), «Ilyichyovsk. Lighthouse» (1986). However, Vasyl created a good many of his watercolor paintings on his journeys across Soviet republics and abroad: «Dombay» (1972), «Karelian pines» (1975), «Lake in Sedniv» (1980), «Caucasian birches» (1981), «Rozluch. Carpathians» (1983), «Holosiivo. Ponds» (1984), «Vylkovo» (1987). On journeys that served him as a source of new impressions artworks cycles like «Ancient monuments», «Channel Dnepr-Donbass», «Pushkin reserve», «In Gurzuf» were painted. Cycles of art works painted abroad contain images of Paris, Rome, London, Prague, Barcelona, Budapest, Istanbul, Jerusalem and Cairo.

In landscape painting the artist was evoking motifs of southern Ukraine – juicy, mature vegetables and fruits, vivid flowers. Watercolors of flowers united in series brought him great success. As a "King of flowers and emperor of sunflowers" a fine art expert from Alexandria M. Sheryf named Vasyl. Vasyl Andriiovych worked often on floral compositions by moving up images to the frames of pictures, by approaching images as much as possible to spectators. He pictured flowers in contourless sketchy manner that makes possible to reproduce flowering, rustle, smell. 2007 – Laureate of the contest "Your names, Odesa!" in nomination "The best works of fine art (graphics)" 2012 – Laureate of the contest "Diamond Duke", diploma of the laureate of the contest "Diamond Duke" named after De Richelieu in nomination "Painting, Graphics", project "Save and Protect", Odesa 2014 – Participant of the exhibition "Light of harmony", diploma of participant, the exhibition which was held within the framework of the international project "World without borders", Moscow, Russia Participant of the exhibition "Marinists of Odesa – dedicated to the day of Saint Nicholas", commendation, Odesa

Exhibitions

Personal exhibitions

1984 – Odesa 1986 – Odesa 1987 – Kyiv 1999 – in the Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odesa 2002 – in the Odesa Art Museum 2004 – in the gallery of the club "Windrose", Oberursel, Germany 2005 – Oslo, Norway 2006 – in the Art Salon of the Union of Artists, Odesa 2008 – in the gallery of , Odesa 2009 – on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of the artist, in the Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odesa 2010 – in the gallery "Sady Pobedy", Odesa 2011 – in the Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odesa

Exhibitions of works of Odesa artists

1969 – Szeged, Hungary 1970 – Bulgaria 1974 – Italy 1974 – Exhibition "Odesa – Marseille", Italy 1976 – Genoa, Italy 1977 – Szeged, Hungary 1977 – Bulgaria 1977 – Baltimore, USA 1980 – Szeged, Hungary 1981 – Genoa, Italy 1985 – Geneva, Switzerland 1987 – Finland 1990 – Genoa, Italy 1991 – in the Soviet Fund of Culture, Moscow, Russia 1992 – New-York, USA 1992 – in the embassy of Japan, Moscow, Russia 1993 – in "Russian center", Jerusalem, Israel 1996 – Mexico

Exhibitions "Picturesque Ukraine"

2002 – Ukrainian House, Kyiv 2003 – National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv 2007 – National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv

Others

1977 – Watercolor exhibition of Odesa artists, Bulgaria 1982 – Exhibition "Contemporary art of Odesa", Genoa, Italy 1997 – "Gold Masters of Odesa", Odesa Art Museum 1997 – "Contemporary art of Ukraine", National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv 1998 – Montgermont watercolor salon, commune Montgermont, France 1999 – Exhibition of private collections of watercolors, Paris, France 2000 – Exhibition of marinists. Marine gallery, Odesa 2001 – Tregastel International watercolor salon, commune Tregastel, France 2005 – Watercolor Fair of Belgium, Namur, Belgium 2009 – Exhibition-cultural program "Art-alphabet or Odesa's Montmartre", Odesa 2009 – Exhibition-project "Play of Color and Shape", г. Steinbach, Germany 2010 – Traveling exhibition "The Traveler" devoted to the day of the land Hesse, Oberursel, Germany 2014 – Exhibition "Light of harmony", international project "World without borders", Moscow, Russia

Exhibitions after the death of the artist

2015 – Personal exhibition, International Forum Eurowoman 2015, in Tbilisi and in Batumi, Georgia 2015 – On the occasion of celebration of the day of Odesa, art-project "Magnifique opéra", Odesa 2015 – European forum of collectors, Kyiv 2015 – Personal exhibition "Transparency of a flower", Art gallery of madam Palmgren, Lviv, Ukraine 2016 – Personal exhibition in the gallery of World-Wide Club of Odessites, Odesa 2016 – Personal exhibition, charitable auction, in the Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odesa

Works of the artist in collections

In museums

Odesa Art Museum Kharkiv Art Museum , Kyiv

Ochakiv museum of marine art Sharhorod folk museum International watercolor museum, Fabriano, Italy

In public institutions

, Kyiv Kherson children's regional hospital Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Otolaryngologyl

Rivne Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren

In galleries and private collections

Workshop of Vasyl Ponikarov, Odesa Art collector Yves Mouden, Brest, France

Literature