An exhibition of one of the most prominent illustrators of the renowned Kyiv publishing house “Veselka,” and at the same time a distinctive representative of Ukraine’s unofficial artistic culture of the 1970s–1980s.
The visual world of Kostiantyn-Vadym Ihnatov is instantly recognizable—a realm of grotesque transformation in which the artist masterfully balances humor and emotional tension, creating an atmosphere where absurdity and satire emerge through artistic means of expression: form, structure, color, and scale. The noted art historian Hanna Zavarova once observed that paradox is the essential foundation of Ihnatov’s artistic language. His work is built on a play of displaced meanings, where familiar interpretations seem to shift, change context, intersect, and form unexpected relationships.
Over the course of his life, the artist illustrated more than one hundred books that became part of the childhood of multiple generations. Alongside his official work in book graphics, he was actively engaged in painting, creating complex semi-abstract compositions which, due to their artistic freedom, could not be exhibited in Soviet shows. For a long time, his unofficial body of work was known only within Kyiv’s intellectual circles. True recognition came to the artist in the 1990s, with solo exhibitions held in Aachen, Boston, New Jersey, Brussels, and, in 1998, in Kyiv. Today, his works are held in museum and private collections in Ukraine and abroad.
The exhibition at the Dukat Gallery introduces viewers both to the central themes of the artist’s oeuvre and to the transformation of his stylistics—from the “iron” works of the 1970s to the grotesque of the 1990s.
Kostiantyn-Vadym Ihnatov (1934–2016)
Born in Kharkiv. Studied at the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv Art School and the Kyiv State Art Institute. His teacher was K. Zaruba. Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (since 1974). His solo exhibitions were held in Aachen (1993), Boston (1993), New Jersey (1995), Brussels (1995, 1998), Los Angeles (2002), and Harvard (Cambridge, 2002). He collaborated for many years with the publishing house “Veselka,” illustrating over 100 books. His works are held in the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine, as well as in private collections in Ukraine and abroad.
Detailed bio: https://archive-uu.com/ua/profiles/ignatov-kostyantin-vadim
“Transformations. Kostiantyn-Vadym Ihnatov”
October 22 – November 24, 2025
Kyiv, 5 Volodymyrska St.
Dukat Art Foundation Gallery
Opening hours: 11:00 – 19:00