Landscapes, dandelion life and bathing ceremonies: what was presented at the watercolor exhibition in the capital

The opening ceremony of the watercolor exposition “Eliminating Shadows of Summer” was held at the Victory cinema on October 12, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency reports.

The exhibition with a talking and symbolic name brought together dozens of works. Here are landscapes, natural compositions, subtle images and sketches with smooth color transitions. The feature of the exhibition is an exclusively female view of art.

- I noticed that from year to year, about October 10, nature is transformed, filled with yellow, red and other bright shades. Now in Minsk, the colors are especially juicy, in many ways reminiscent of summer. I wanted to draw a parallel between these states, but to emphasize their differences. In the summer we bloom, and in the autumn we reach maturity, said artist and curator of the exhibition Diana Moss.

Among the participants are girls and women with completely different experience with watercolor. Many learned to draw from childhood, attended art schools and studios. Others came to creativity in adulthood - at 30, 40 and even 50 years.

- It is especially interesting to see the work of my students. They prove that a person can learn a lot if he has the desire. Many of the girls work as financiers, programmers, used to numbers and accuracy. For them, watercolor was a real personal challenge that they were able to take on, Moss added.

The opening attracted many spectators, and bouquets of flowers and stormy applause became a pleasant addition to the festive atmosphere.

Amateur artist Alesya Litvinova presented two fascinating works - "Kupala" and "Swan". The girl tried to draw in a pedagogical college - she was lucky to meet a good teacher. Watercolor attracted her even then, but over time, her professional career pushed creativity to the background. The orange sunset changed everything.

- As an adult, I moved into a new home with sunset windows. Then I rediscovered the beauty of pink and orange, and they reminded me of watercolor. I remembered how we learned to make smooth transitions from one color to another, and I realized that I wanted to pick up a brush again. Later, I went to master classes, met my mentor Diana and returned to creativity, said Litvinova.

In the work “Kupala” the artist refers to the images of folk rituals, but shows them from a more personal side.

- For me, this is not just a traditional ceremony, when girls in dresses dance or jump over a fire. This is a more intimate story about a cleansing fire, next to which everyone has their own desires and dreams. And the swan is a symbol of purity and innocence, which is associated not only with wildlife, but also with our abstract and sacred subconscious, Litvinova said.

Artist Alexander Klimenko presented a whole story trilogy “The Life of a Dandelion”. The three works reflect different stages of the yellow flower’s existence, turning its history into a metaphor for the fragility of human existence, the transience and cyclical nature of life.

- As a child, my mother and I loved to paint together: we put a vase with flowers and depicted them from different angles. Later, I met Diana, who became my guide in the watercolor world. I started to go to her workshops, tried different techniques from other teachers. Learning is interesting, although not easy. Sometimes, as a student, you do not even notice how you adopt the manner of your teacher, Klimenko said.

Photo by Sergei Pozhi