The name of the gallery “Princess of Kiev” is a tribute to the historical and cultural relations between France and the countries of Eastern Europe (and Ukraine in particular). Indeed, it was Anna-Yaroslavna, the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Prince of Kiev, who, in the 11th century, married Henry I, King of France, and ruled over France until her son could reign under the name Philip the Beautiful. It is also the depiction of a very romantic story at the end of which this gallery is the result of an alliance between a young Ukrainian princess, Nathalie TERESHCHUK, and an international businessman passionate about contemporary art, Daniel DUHAUTBOUT. Through the selection of artists they made, they wanted to introduce French and international collectors to exceptional artists (whether established talents or emerging ones). Many of these artists come from Eastern European countries, and their difference is expressed through their mastery of all the artistic techniques they have acquired in their schools and academies. Some are politically engaged artists, and exhibiting their works is a way to participate in their struggle despite the difficulties encountered (for instance, seven of their artworks disappeared under enigmatic circumstances on an Air France flight between Paris and Nice). They are also artists who love their country and want us to discover the warmth and zest for life of the Slavs.
Daniel DUHAUTBOUT: *”My ambition is to allow collectors and art enthusiasts to discover exceptional artists, to share with them the pleasure of getting to know these artists better along with their stories, cultures, and techniques. And here, the pleasure of discovery also rhymes with wisely investing.”*
Nathalie TERESHCHUK: *”When someone enters our gallery, they immediately feel transported into a world where Romanticism, the Renaissance, and the influences of Kievan Rus intertwine… This world is warm, beautiful, graceful, and elegant. Like a Princess of Kiev, I will be happy to welcome you and share this atmosphere with you.”*
A few French artists whose mastery of technique and originality are indisputable have also been selected. It is also an opportunity for them to meet artists from Eastern Europe, to better understand the Slavic soul, before participating in exhibitions in Ukraine and Russia that the “Princess of Kiev” Gallery will organize with them in partnership with the “Ambre International” association (www.ambre-international.com). The gallery also offers the possibility of executing commissioned works (magnificent portraits or even copies of any works exhibited in our museums).
Permanent artists of the Gallery:
Y. Petrenko: The cascades of colors in Yuriy Petrenko’s canvases are reminiscent of free-jazz improvisations. They bring infinite joy and cloak the objects around us in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
O. Levchyshyna: The main protagonist in Oksana Levchyshyna’s paintings is light, the sole witness of a time that has its own laws and life. A life where shadows become women, where grasses remind us of nymphs. They travel from one painting to another, we want to believe, but in fact, it’s all an illusion.
S. Marus: The interpenetration of different eras and cultures in his works takes us to a world where emptiness does not exist, to a world where borders disappear because the language of art is the universal language, knowing neither time nor space. He has become an explorer of ancient human history and our cultures.
D. Dobrovolsky: His paintings resemble the French pointillism, but with the Dnieper River and the Lavra monastery towers in Kyiv. The mosaic of colors, light, and layers gives the impression that the painter is constructing a house. His paint petals build the sky and the earth up to the invisible and solid post holding all fragments of painting.
O. Melnykov: History and familiar faces inspire his imagination. The rigidity of his graphic line serves as a support for implementing refined, very researched color schemes, where everything finally softens. The system of character gazes passes in front of the viewer, touching us only indirectly. Inside each composition, there’s a precise logic of gazes, gestures, and poses. This creates a sensation of face movement, like in a slow dance in the manner of madrigals.
Andrey Vutyanov is a master of painting cities with a look that is both nostalgic and retro.
Isabelle Planté: She reinvents a world steeped in magic and poetry. This great freedom, taken with respect to our daily environment, is the main connection to poetry. This form of language, although respecting the established genre rules, deviates from the ordinary. First, because it is different from our everyday language, and then because it speaks of another world: that of emotions and feelings. Poetry is a brief, allusive genre that suggests more than it says and thus uses imagination to reach the reader.
TATIANA: A young artist of Czech origin, her paintings impress with the power of their colors and the dynamic of movement.
Guy FAGES: Born in 1948, Guy FAGES discovered his calling at the age of 15. During a visit to the Gordes stone quarry, he was impressed by this noble and robust material, already seeing the forms that could be drawn from it. Over time, he became increasingly interested in bronze as he could utilize the impact of colors. His sumptuous patinas play with light, aligning with the architecture of his sculptures, adding a lyrical invention of forms.
Yvgen NESTERENKO is an artist with multiple talents (singer, musician, jeweler, painter…) but his strong point is undeniably the mastery of portrait technique. On request, he can create your portrait (he masters all techniques) and capture the smile, the gleam of the eye… making his works very personal and unique.
