Illustration

Serhii Hai

Serhii Hai (b. 1959) is a Ukrainian artist, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, and a member of the BZ-ART association (BZ-ART — from Budynok Zhurnalista (House of Journalists), the venue where the community was based). He studied at the Lviv State Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts. According to the publication “100 Names. Contemporary Art of Ukraine in the Independence Period”, he is among the hundred best Ukrainian artists. Hai teaches painting at the Department of Design at the National Forestry University of Ukraine in Lviv.

  • In his work, Serhii Hai skillfully combines various styles and movements: fauvism, expressionism, art brut, and neomodernism. His paintings are characterized by the energy of color and perfection of form. The artist also enjoys experimenting with texture.
    Hai most often turns to the theme of the female body — depicting the female nude without painting the face. According to the artist, this theme appeared when he was dating his (then future) wife: “For me, the nude body turned into a great face.” For his work, the artist needs an energetic impulse, so he makes sketches from life, which he later translates into the language of painting.
    In the same way, Serhii Hai works on portraits — painting masks, as the Greeks once did when they wanted to depict a hero or a god. Thus, Hai does not portray specific individuals, since over a lifetime, from childhood to maturity, a person changes not only in face but also in essence.
    Another favorite theme for Hai is horses. From the bright, dynamic Races to Horse Portrait and the fantastic Centaur, his canvases compellingly demonstrate the grace and energy of these refined creatures, while also inspiring new painterly experiments in the attempt to capture the character and spirit of the animal.
    The works of Serhii Hai are represented in Ukraine and in the United States, where his paintings are valued and in demand. The artist holds solo exhibitions and participates in group shows both in Ukraine and in the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries.

Gallery

Illustration

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