Interview with Miroslav Duzinkevych

Miroslav Duzinkevych is a Ukrainian-American artist from New York, for many years he has been painting, a participant in many international art symposia and plain airs. Miroslav has received several awards in the field of fine arts, his paintings were published in various magazines. Exhibited in Ukraine, many European countries and the USA. SCOPE Art Show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Over the past year, Miroslav has had a number of exhibitions, victories in several competitions, as well as a personal exhibition in New York.
The inspiration for the artist is travel around the world, as well as his family and children, which push him to new achievements.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

Talking about yourself is not always easy, but I will try to be as objective as possible. In Ukraine, where I come from, I received a classical academic education. At first, there was a specialized art school, three years, then the National Academy of Fine Arts, a master's degree. That is, I can say I am a classical artist, in the full sense of the word. Education in our academy gives a very high level of skill. In Ukraine, the school of realism has been preserved, which has been passed down for generations. Therefore, my work is permeated with a combination of realistic style and modern. I also really like the Renaissance, sometimes it seems to me that I am doing a modern Renaissance. In my paintings, I try to carry a positive, I don’t like scenes of violence, because in life everything doesn’t always turn out the way we would like it to. Especially now when such a terrible war is going on in my homeland in Ukraine, where Russia is killing innocent children, women and the entire population.

How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

I always start new works in different ways. Sometimes I start right on the canvas when inspiration strikes. It happens that before doing a new job you need to make a sketch and not just one, because there is no result that you want. It happens that you have already started work on a sketch already made and you still change it along the way. I want to experiment as often as possible, with new materials, techniques, textures. In this regard, you can take an example from the great Picasso, who changed styles all his life.

When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?

Most of all I like to work on weekends. When it's calm around the streets, I would say appeasement. Of course I work every day. If we talk about a normal working day, I really like it in the morning and late at night, but in general it's all very individual and in different ways. For example, yesterday I spent the whole day in my studio, started one work, then an idea came to my mind, I took a small canvas and made a sketch of my future work on it, and in the late afternoon I took up the third work. Thus, when you change different jobs, you are not so tired.

What is a barrier you as an artist overcame? Is there anything that enabled you to develop your work as an artist in your life?

Several times in my life I seriously thought about what would stop painting and painting altogether. But then the situation developed in such a way that anyway I was again drawn to the easel and canvases. I think that this is for life, because without it you can no longer live simply absolutely. There are times when you don’t work in the studio, then you are drawn there anyway, you want to smell the colors, run your hand over the canvas, just sit in the studio and immediately life takes on its fullness. In New York, what is good for me is that I have the opportunity to work on projects in different design studios. We do various projects with decorations. One of the latest works was associated with a metal bas-relief. This is also a very interesting experience, I learned how to stretch copper with fire and make various shapes out of it. It only enriches me and my skills. After that, I want to experiment even more in my studio. I want to say that moving to New York did me a lot of good, because I already had a lot of exhibitions here, as well as a lot of work.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?

Basically, very often I understand what I want to do from the very beginning, but very often, probably it happens to everyone, you change your ideas, even the technique and materials. Painting is both interesting and good, that you never know and do not fully imagine the finished work, if you know exactly how the finished work will look, it becomes not so interesting already. Personally, I always want some kind of intrigue and some kind of mystery.

What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work? We’re curious what the narrative or story is to what you are producing?

For me, the meaning of my life is love. To what you do, to the people who surround you. The biggest inspiration for me is my family, my children who inspire me. Once my little son was playing with dolls and talking to them as if they were living beings. It impressed me so much that I made a picture of "Friends" where he holds these dolls in his hands. I love travel very much. With my family, we once were in Krakow (Poland) I was very inspired by this city, the architecture of small restaurants,. I made a painting "Memories" in the foreground still life against the backdrop of the old city. We often visited Italy. On the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, I made a lot of sketches. Italy is our favorite country. Museum country. An open person is always and everywhere interested and this will definitely be seen in his paintings.

Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

I think that every person is valuable and important, everyone has their own mission. If God has given me a talent, then I must develop it. Children mean a lot to me. Together with them, I also learn a lot of things. My son loves to draw very much, I often see how easily, quickly and naturally he does it. It really fills me up and energizes me. I want to invent new techniques, I really like to invent new textures. Every day gives new thoughts of experience, asks more and more questions, why am I here and what is my mission on earth. My idea and my task is to make the world better, more positive and kinder.

Are there any exhibitions or places where people can see these beautiful creations in person soon? Anything on the horizon?

Yes, of course there will be exhibitions in the near future. As I said, I am from Ukraine, now I live in the USA. But I cannot look calmly at what is happening in my country. There is a real aggressive war on the part of Russia against my country. Last Saturday there was an exhibition in one of the galleries in Connecticut. Next week there will also be an exhibition of Ukrainian artists living in the United States. April 21 in the gallery of New York will open my solo exhibition. I plan to transfer money from the sale of paintings to Ukrainian people who find themselves in a very difficult situation. In fact, there is an destruction and genocide of the Ukrainian people by Russia. Ukraine has never attacked anyone. Now this is a patriotic war for all Ukrainians, we are defending our land, homeland and our future. This is the struggle of light over darkness. I want to help my country in any way I can.

Website: https://duzinkevych.com/