Creative Concepts of Bessarabian Laureates’ Works in Art Competition of International Academy of Contemporary Arts

Abstract: The article deals with the creative activities of the representatives from Bessarabia (Izmail and Chisinau) in art competition of International Academy of Contemporary Arts in nominations of painting, literature and photography. The author analyzes the creative ideas of art works of the regional representatives, which were highly praised by the jury of the international competition.

International Academy of Contemporary Arts (IACA) is a public organization combining artists from 26 countries on a voluntary basis. The activity of the members of the Academy covers different fields of literature, music, fine art, theory of fundamental and applied artistic sciences. It is an independent public community, founded on voluntary membership, that has functioned since 2010. In the 10 years of its existence major international projects in the field of architecture and building, art and peer review of works, competitive programs, museum practice and gallery work were accomplished (Official siteIACA).

One of the bright academy’s projects is a prestigious international contest of arts “ART. EXCELLENCE. AWARDS” in the categories Literature, Music, Painting, Graphics, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography, Design, Fashion, Scenography, Jewelry, Dolls, Confessional Art (Official site AEA). One of the important achievements of the current year became the conclusion of a treaty between the largest platform in Europe on art Artmajeur and International academy of contemporary arts on the partnership in creation on-line-gallery of the works of the winners, laureates and prize-winners of all seasons of international contest of arts “ART. EXCELLENCE. AWARDS” in all categories.

The analysis of artistic values of Bessarabian laureates’ works of AEA contest, who received recognition of international jury of the contest and prizes, is proposed in this article.

The winners of “ART. EXCELLENCE. AWARDS” of International Academy of Contemporary Arts became:

The popularity of fantasy genre, aimed at mythopoetic projects of the past with a special plot, composition, picture of the world and type of a hero, becameone of the cultural phenomenon of contemporary society. A vivid representative of fantasy reflection of slav-arias non-mythology in painting is Izmail painter Sergey Suhinin. Hundreds of plots of his works are represented by the pictures of rise and fall of protocivilizations (Atlantida, Hyperborean, Lemuria), the systemof images of Gods (Perun, Svarog, Karna, Niy, triad of Morok and others). Sergey Suhinin’s artistic devices are aimed at the attempt to overcome simultaneity of time, picture of the world in motion, dynamic artistic conflict with the help of the devices of intensification of color and light, attention to details.

The artist also works in traditional genre of landscape, however, he often adds to his compositions the motives of fabulousness and magic. These are, for example, the plots of the pictures of the cycle “Vilkovo” – Old Believers center of Southern Bessarabia. Time stops at some paintings, they tend to staticsof classical composition “Christmas Night” (2016); “Winter of 1986”). In the work “Round-the-Clock(2016) time disappears at all: generous Vilkovo land fruits, gathered throughout a year, are represented in one pictorial slice, that is associated with the mythologeme of lost paradise.

Sergey Suhinin is sure in the reality of fantasy worlds, created by him, and is aware of his creative experience as a certain mission, aimed at education and warning of mankind. The artist’s enthusiastic immersion in eternal issues of the origin of the Universe and man, structure of spiritual and material world make the acquaintance with his works, carried out skillfully by the author, into exciting journey to the area of consciousness, since myth as a means of awakening of associative thinking, invariably inspires, making new senses and subtexts be opened.

Sergey Suhinin got higher art education at the Department of Fine Arts in Izmail State University of Humanities (2008). His works are in private collections of Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Czech Republic, Israel, America, Greece, China, Japan, Korea, France, Sweden, Germany.

In painting and graphics the gallery of remarkable images, full of romantics, majesty, restrained spiritual search is introduced by a vivid representative of fine arts of the South of Odessa region Ivan Kotsoflyak. The plots of his works, performed in the technique of oil and watercolor painting, are mainly connected with the nature of the Ukrainian Danube region: unpretentious Northern Black Sea Coast, perfect in its unique simplicity; Danube distributary with quiet fishing area; Budjak steppe open places. The author’s meditative perception of southern nature and philosophical subtext of compositions became a characteristic feature of the author’s artistic style.

Graphics in Ivan Kotsoflyak’s creative activity took a modest but special quite separate place. The works, carried out in the author’s original technique, that reminds colorful etching to a certain extent, but not printed, with a wide circulation,– exist only in a single copy. These are clear ways of expression, giving expressiveness to the form, the restraint of which is worth extensive experience. Most of Ivan Kotsoflyak’s graphic works differ in keen sense of humor, creating the atmosphere of intelligent game. Their plots, executed in sanguine, – were taken from legends, folk ceremonial holidays, household scenes. Irony and philosophical subtext enrich and broaden reading and thematic circle of his works, wherein irony and grotesque never reach sarcasm, being mitigated by lyricism and good nature of the author’s inner world.

Ivan Kotsoflyak finished M. Grekov State Art School of Odessa (1968) and M. Fedorov Ukrainian Polygraphic Institute (1977). He is a member of National Artists’ Union of Ukraine (2005) and Izmail Artists’ Union (1991). Most of his life Ivan Ivanovich teaches at Izmail children’s art school, devoting his talent to aesthetic up-bringing and teaching young generation. Ivan Kotsoflyak’s works are in art galleries of Izmail, Smolyan and Gabrovo (Bulgaria), private collections of Germany, Austria, the USA, Slovakia, Hungary, Israel, Sweden, Thailand. The author’s main works are in the album “Ivan Kotsoflyak. Painting. Graphics” (2019).

Artist-designer Ekaterina Pungina is a specialist in the field of design and production of artistic stained glass windows and mosaic, subject design and interior decorating. She is a founder and Chief Designer of art-studio “Bludesign” (Official site Bludesign).

E. Pungina’s creative works differ in delicate artistic taste and aesthetic feeling, the ability to show the conception of work with exquisite line, harmonious color composition. Her works include stained-glass design of Diocesan Curia in the representative of the Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of Moldova; in the Hungarian Embassy in the Republic of Moldova; stained glass “Themis” in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Moldova, VIP hall of Chisinau International Airport and also in a number of offices, Cricova tasting rooms, restaurant complexes and private orders.

Ekaterina Pungina got profile education in M. Grekov State Art School of Odessa (1990-1995) and V. Vinnichenko State Pedagogical University of Kirovograd (2003-2009, graphic design, master). Since 2011 she has been a member of the board of Designers’ Union of the Republic of Moldova (Chairman of Youth Section). E. Pungina is a laureate of National Award of DAS in the field of architecture and interior design, in the category of Decor or artistic interior design (2013), Honorary Member of International Academy of Modern Arts, Official Representative of the Academy in the Republic of Moldova and Romania (2016).

E. Pungina’s most significant projects in the area of design are the series of stained glass for Diocesan Curia of the Roman Catholic Church representative in the Republic of Moldova (1996-1997); Hungarian Embassy in the Republic of Moldova (1998); churches of social center at the Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of Moldova (2002); Cricova S. A. tasting rooms (2007); restaurant complex “Barrel” (“Butoias”), 2012; VIP hall of Chisinau International Airport (2012), particularly stained glass “Themis” in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Moldova (2005) and the Supreme Trial Chamber of Republic of Moldova (2010); stained glass Assumption of the Virgin in the Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of Moldova; mosaics at the office of I. M. Sturza fund (2010); stained glass dome “Christ Pantokrator” in the underground gallery Cricova S. A. (2019).

A number of works of Ekaterina Pungina are in private collections of Mildova, Romania, Ukraine, Greece, Germany, America.

Izmail journalist, writer, local historian Igor Ognev is a remarkable figure in the town cultural life and the South of Odessa region. He is the author of the collection of biographical sketches “Izmail. The Names for All Times” (2017), popular scientific historical edition “Izmail. Bygone Days” (2019), co-author of the encyclopedic dictionary “They Changed the History” (125 nationals of Southern Bessarabia)” (2019) and numerous popular articles, devoted to the history of Izmail and the region. The subject of the author’s historical preferences is the period of Izmail history of 1812-1917. Within this time Igor Ognev was the first of local historians to develop and publish the research on architects, who had established Izmail contemporary architectural image; the history of emergence and development of local authorities; the history of the origins and development of Izmail Admiralty; the development of town press. I. Ognev’s personal photo exhibitions were exhibited at the museum of A. V. Suvorov and Izmail picture gallery (2016-2020). I. Ognev was awarded an honorable diploma of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for a significant contribution to development of local media. In 2019 for an active covering of the history of the Second World War and the activity of the town veteran organization the journalist was awarded a medal “75^th Anniversary of Izmail’s Liberation”.

Igor Ognev has 20-year service in the local authorities and about 20 years in Izmail electronic and printing mass-media. In 1991-1994 he headed the editorial office of Izmail community broadcasting. Igor Ognev is a member of the National Union of Local Historians of Ukraine. For 10 years he has been editing the page “History” in the newspaper “Kur’er Nedeli”, and writing a column “Back at History” in the journal “Bessarabskiy Vernisazh”.

Photographic works of Nataly Gashinskaya, the Chairman of Izmail Photoartists’ Union, don’t refer to the category of conceptually organized. They are always based on direct fixation of non-staged reality with the tendency to stress the elements of unexpectedness and aesthetical expressiveness in habitual town landscape and pictures of nature. A significant part of Nataly Gashinskaya’s photo collection is a series of photo works with city views in a definite time period: at the dawn, that is empty and full of special energetics, in the absence of people, and pictures of the town at the end of a day.

It is not simply documentary picture of the fragments of reality. The works make an impression of the author’s individual mastery and aesthetic feeling of reality. One of the leading specialists in the field of artistic photography Nikolay Sednin estimates that the author has a surprising peculiarity to find compositional angle and work with light intuitively. His works are very simple, but everything is in its place– there is a harmonic combination of the main criteria of photo skill at the recorded moment: color – ton – light – composition, the author’s balance of form and content have been found.

Izmail master of photography Igor Kots is a member of the Creative Union “Photoart” Moscow, who received in 2012 an honorary title Artist Photoart (A-PHOTOART); a member of FédérationInternationale de lArtPhotographique at the rank of AFIAP (since 2017), cooperating actively with The National Union of Photoartists of Ukraine. In the asset of experience of the past is the work as a photojournalist of the newspaper “Dunaets”, camera operator of the studios “Izmail TV” and “Bessarabia TV”. At present he is “a free photographer”, taking part in a range of town projects and advertising commercial companies activity. Personal exhibitions were held in Yuzhnyi (2016) and Izmail (2006, 2011, 2013, 2015).

Igor Kots is a talented author, searching for his creative potential in the beauty of natural phenomena and hidden reality. Love for travelling reflected in the exploration of Crimean places and long trips along the valleys of Issyk-Kulskaya region, Kirgiziya, to Yakutiya, the Kurila Islands. The comprehension of places, that are far from advertising and philosophy of fun, crowds of tourists and commercial fuss, is common in this non-standard geography of journeys. Trips to hidden places of mankind resonate with photoartist’s spiritual search, unique life philosophy and his own way of self-knowledge, a desire to understand signs and capture them by camera.

Realistic images of the author’s photo works often become a means of multi-valued circumlocution, almost symbols of another project of being, and cipher of wild nature, captured by the camera, reminds a man who the master of the planet is. The majesty of Far Eastern mountains at the height of clouds; mysterious, almost lunar landscape in the crater; panoramic views of nature without any signs of presence of civilization from the tops of Kurile range; wild waterfalls; consequences of hurricane on a deserted beach; bear tracks on a wet sand; virgin nature of the Paramushir and Onekotan Islands; mystical reflections of Mirror Lake; mysterious energetics of localities left by people; cemetery of vessels – these are the plots of Kurilian cycle of Igor Kots’s photo works, part of which is submitted for consideration to the IX season of international contest “ART. PERFECTION. RECOGNITION” (2020) of International Academy of Modern Arts.

Official site Bludesign. https://www.facebook.com/bluglassdesign/?ref=page_internal.

1Professor, PhD, Izmail State University of Humanities, Ukraine, Address: 12 Repina str, Izmail, Ukraine, Corresponding author: shevchuktat2@gmail.com.

2 Senior Lecturer, PhD, Izmail State University of Humanities, Ukraine, Address: 12 Repina str, Izmail, Ukraine, E-mail: olyasikshik@ukr.net.


S. Suhinin. Karna, canvas, oil (2018)	S. Suhinin. Triad of Morok, canvas, oil (2015)	S. Suhinin. Mara, canvas, oil (2010)


I.Kotsoflyak. Self Portrait, graphics (1994)	I.Kotsoflyak. Extravaganza, canvas, oil (2010)


N. Gashinskaya. Reflection (2019)	N. Gashinskaya. Old Town (2019)


I.Kots. Lunar (2017)	I.Kots. Kurile Islands (2017)