The personal exhibitions of sculptor Ludviga Nesterovich and artist Tatyana Fadeeva opened five days apart at the Central Exhibition Hall (CEH) of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan. The directorate of Art Exhibitions of the Academy of Arts is concluding the exhibition year with them.
Ludviga Nesterovich’s exhibition marks a jubilee. It is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the sculptor and introduces the work of the outstanding master in the time frame from the 1980s to the present day, summarizing her path of search and discovery. “Serene dreams” by Tatyana Fadeeva is a presentation of the project about the challenges of the present and enduring values, which the artist has been reflecting in her works for the past two years.
The artists have almost all the time and space of CEH at their disposal. At the suggestion of Akmal Nur, chairman of the Academy of Arts, both exhibitions will run until the end of the year. Beholding the rare exhibits and depth of their meaning, one can justify the time and space given to both creators.
“Serene Dreams” of Tatyana Fadeeva
From the doorstep of the first floor at CEH, Tatyana Fadeyeva welcomes the visitors at a labyrinth-styled art exhibition entitled “Serene Dreams.” Familiar ephemeral paintings immerse into the idyllic world of dreams. At first glance, vivid flashes of fairy tales and characters seem to have transferred to the canvas. The visual motif might appear somewhat naive and lyrical — until one dares to dive deeper into Tatyana’s dreams.
“Although the exhibition is called ‘Serene Dreams,' the works unveil the troubled soul of the artist, who is endowed with astonishing senses of kindness and compassion for everything that surrounds her. Each painting reveals not only a theme, but also a deep philosophy. An artist cannot create such a body of works without putting their soul into it,” believes Ludmila Kodzaeva, art historian and deputy director of the directorate of art exhibitions.
The curator of the exhibition and art historian Gulnara Ishmuratova says the exposition showcases a new cycle of artworks by Tatyana Fadeyeva, which speaks in its name “Miss World? Miss War?” (by analogy with the beauty contest “Miss World”), and introduces a new stage of her artistic self-expression.
“Unlike the previous project ‘Silent confession' (2019), in which Tatyana addressed mainly historical memory, ‘Serene Dreams' seeks to reflect the problems and profound changes in the global community, its moral and ethical guidelines,” highlights Gulnara Ishmuratova.
Tatyana Fadeyeva at the exhibition opening. Photo by Sabina Ragimova / Afisha.uz
Two years ago Tatyana Fadeyeva started working on the cycle “Miss World? Miss War?,” which is the leitmotif of the exhibition. News feeds displaying human tragedies in different parts of the world on a daily basis pushed her toward this endeavor. The exhibited graphic series “Pantaloon Unrest” was a response to the ongoing events. The images portray masked people who think and make decisions with their “pantaloons” rather than with their hearts.
“Pantaloon Unrest” graphic series
“After I started to draw daily graphic works reflecting on various events, I realized that I needed to switch to life-affirming themes. I could not always bear the negative experiences myself without having it projected on my nervous system. I began to look for the power capable of speaking louder than circumstances. And I found it in flowers. There is a belief that 'poppies appear on fields after battle.' Fragile on the outside, they grow despite everything, even over graves and mines. For me, their strength is a symbol of victory over circumstances,” says Tatyana Fadeyeva.
Female characters of the series “Miss Peace? Miss War?” are representatives of different countries of the modern world. The wreaths on their heads symbolize hope; mark the statement of victory of good over evil.
“I chose flowers for the heroines based on a country’s flora, or on my own associations. For example, Uzbekistan is sunny, hospitable and welcoming, so the heroine’s wreath is intertwined with limbs of cotton, sunflower and poppy,” the artist explains.
The central painting of the exhibition is “Grain deal.” According to Fadeeva, it is a work “about two opposing states” and nations whose blood flows in her veins. The painted character’s head is crowned with a wreath of poppies and wheat, which is “woven into a knot from powerlessness to solve the world’s problems.”
The artist consciously abstained from any gloomy colors. Instead, she appealed for contrasting colors to express a complex range of feelings in the interpretation of the theme of wars and conflicts. Lifeless blue color palette juxtaposed with a warm orange-red. Melancholic storyline colors were used together with an emotional, hot-tempered palette.
The contrast of the cycle “Miss Peace? Miss War?” in the title is a question on choice that Fadeyeva imposes on herself, the audience, and mankind. She inquires about destruction or creation, war or peace. The artist’s answer is written on canvases spread throughout the exhibition labyrinth. In her works, Fadeyeva pronounces the victory of the good and life values over the evil, which is destined to grow into poppies and be long forgotten.
Sculpture exhibition by Ludviga Nesterovich
The second floor of the exhibition hall is under the reign of sculptor Ludviga Nesterovich.
The personal exhibition, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the remarkable master Nesterovich, amazes with its scale, variety of genres, techniques and materials. The exposition presents about 300 sculptures of small forms made of various natural materials: marble, granite, onyx, nacre, coral, agate, jasper, chrysolite and others. The sculptor also works with grog, plastic.
Ludviga Nesterovich has had a long and beautiful relationship with the stone. In interaction with the material the sculptor reveals to the public an undeniable talent of observation and astounding sharpness of the eye. She is able to breathe life into seemingly unpretentious, inanimate material. She recognizes a raccoon in a piece of onyx, a pensive faun in marble. She is the one endowing granite with the softness of a cloud.
Ludviga Nesterovich at the exhibition opening. Photo by Umar Kurbanov / Art-blog.uz
The exhibition is retrospective. It comprises works created by Nesterovich from the 1980s to the present day. Such a vision allows visitors to follow the path of a sculptor in love, filigree working dictated by stone. Eventually, observers behold a master who treats the material boldly and freely, with a love for textures, shapes and color that has grown stronger over the years.
Ludviga Nesterovich works in various genres. The sculptor’s source of inspiration is animalism. It entails a direction in art, the main motif of which is the image of animals. Nesterovich refers to the theme of nature and environment.
Her search in the portrait genre echoed in curious bodies of artworks. A series of “Masks” is one of the highlights. Working on it, the sculptor strived to create spectacular images utilizing frugality of expression. In the end, her masks were never hiding. Instead, they expose the characters.
The fourth direction in the artworks by Nesterovich can be distinguished as experiments on the canons of suprematism and abstractionism. Sculptures can be lauded for simplicity of lines, forms and texture.
The organizers of the exhibition highlighted that sculptures by Ludviga Nesterovich can become a ready-to-show solution for architects. Not only can they decorate museum expositions, but also the urban spaces. One needs to visit the Central Exhibition Hall to witness the fairness of these claims.
In a comment to Gazeta.uz, the directorate of Art Exhibitions said both exhibitions — of Tatyana Fadeeva and Ludviga Nesterovich — will run till January 5, 2024. Entrance is free of charge.
