FIGHT – AND YOU SHALL OVERCOME

Viktor Tsapko is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and the Union of Ukrainian Artists of Canada. In 1996, upon the recommendation of artist Feodosii Humeniuk, he moved to Toronto, where he exhibited his works at the KUMF Gallery – one of the largest Ukrainian galleries in Canada. Living and working in the creative environment of this country deeply influenced Viktor Tsapko's art, while also providing him with an understanding of the importance of his own culture and traditions. In 2008, Viktor Tsapko returned to Ukraine, settling in the village of Velykyi Pereviz in the Poltava region. It was here that he fully realized his inner calling and found the inspiration to paint a large number of works. The exhibition features works from the artist's "Ukrainian period." He cares deeply about the future of his country, its history, culture, and spiritual values. In Viktor Tsapko's work, Ukraine appears not merely as a specific geographical space, but as a special inner world filled with memory, lived experiences, and hope. Landscapes occupy a significant place in the presented selection. The artist turns to the imagery of Ukrainian nature, conveying its variability, beauty, and special emotional atmosphere. Rural landscapes, orchards, trees, hills, and distant horizons in his works acquire a generalized, almost symbolic resonance. For the artist, nature becomes a kind of reflection of the state of both the person and the country. At the same time, a desire for emotional, expressive statement is strongly felt in the artist's works. Saturated colors, contrasting combinations, dynamic brushstrokes, and generalized forms give the paintings an inner tension and energy. Alongside the landscapes are works in which the artist turns to symbolic and figurative motifs. Their expressiveness relies not so much on detail, but rather on color, rhythm, and emotion. A special place in the artist's work is occupied by the theme of Ukraine and its spiritual resilience. His works prompt reflection on what shapes our identity, and what helps us maintain a connection with our native land and culture even in times of trials. The works of Viktor Tsapko presented at the exhibition are a kind of dialogue between the artist and Ukraine: its nature, people, past, and present. This is painting in which personal experience is combined with a broader comprehension of the country's destiny, and a vibrant language of color becomes a way to speak about life, memory, anxiety, and hope.