Ukrainian artist Hanna Vovk: In one of my paintings, I depicted Ukraine as a young woman with tired eyes but an unbreakable spirit under the blue and yellow flag

Hanna Vovk is a Ukrainian artist who believes her love for landscapes is in her genes, as her grandfather was a landscape painter. She has been painting since childhood and now focuses on three main genres: portrait, still life, and landscape. Hanna shared with us the unique aspects of each, what’s most important in a portrait, and what helps her appreciate the world's beauty.

Interviewer: When did you realize you wanted to paint?

Hanna: I've been drawing since childhood. At age 4, I took my first trip to the Sea of Azov with my parents. When we returned home, I covered the walls with drawings of water attractions – specifically, banana boats. They must have made a big impression on me! That was my first "painting". Two years later, I started attending art school. They typically didn't accept kids that young because they were usually too active and restless. But they saw that I was diligent, that I could sit and draw for hours, and that I was good at it. So, after my first trial class, I was admitted. Later, I attended an art school, participated in various national and international competitions, and eventually went to university to study design. Painting has been a part of my life ever since.

Interviewer: Among your works is a very sad but beautiful painting of a Ukrainian girl with bloodied tears. Tell us about this piece. When did you create it?

Hanna: This painting was created in the second month of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The main idea was to depict Ukraine as a young girl – with golden hair the color of wheat, freckles, tired eyes, but an unbreakable spirit and strength under the blue and yellow flag. The bloodied tears symbolize the spilled blood of Ukrainians. This is how I see Ukraine. In the background is the tallest monumental sculpture in Europe, the Motherland Monument, alongside a bombed-out residential building in Kyiv, destroyed by Russian attacks. Above, in the clear blue sky, is our Mriya, which was also destroyed by the Russians. People who see this painting say that the girl resembles me, and it's true – painted a self-portrait. But my intention was for the girl's features to only slightly resemble mine and hint at my internal state.

Interviewer: What materials do you work with? Why these in particular?

Hanna: I work with various materials. Over the years of studying, it seems like there isn’t a material I haven’t “gotten the hang of”. But most of all, I love working with oil paints and watercolor. I adore watercolor for its lightness; I can really feel it. With oil paints, I love those moments when they “lay” on the canvas; I get a thrill from each brushstroke.

Interviewer: What inspires you to create new paintings?

Hanna: Life. It’s the emotions, people, events, travels, everything that surrounds me and each of us.

Interviewer: You pay special attention to human portraits. Among your works, there is a very soulful painting of a man with a dog. How difficult is it to capture that exact emotion?

Hanna: For me, the most important aspect of any portrait is the eyes. They contain everything. I focus particularly on this part of the body. It’s just a matter of seeing, internalizing the emotion, and conveying it with your hand onto the paper or canvas. As for how accurately the emotion is captured, I believe that depends on practice – the more you train and “hone your skills”, the better the result will be.

Interviewer: In addition to portraits, you also paint still lifes. You've chosen a more classical path in art. Why do you see yourself in this particular direction?

Hanna: Still life art helps us see, appreciate, and understand the world around us, to perceive its enduring value. I painted many still lifes during my years of study and practiced a lot. Today, I rarely paint them.

Interviewer: Where do you create your paintings? Do you have a studio, or do you work from home?

Hanna: I love working alone, when nothing and no one distracts me – I can fully immerse myself in the process and focus on the work. So, I work from home. But I do have thoughts about a studio, so in the future, it will happen.

Interviewer: Do you paint from life, or are your paintings the product of your imagination? Tell us about your landscapes. Still lifes, of course, like portraits, you paint from observation.

Hanna: Most often, I work from life – whether it’s still lifes, portraits, or landscapes. Nature is nature. However, clients often request portraits from photographs. If I haven’t seen the person in real life, I usually ask for several photos to get a more accurate visual impression of the person. Of course, there are also paintings that are the product of my imagination – I’m an artist, after all! I absolutely love landscapes. My grandfather was a landscape painter, creating incredibly beautiful realistic paintings. So, a love for landscapes is in my genetic code.

Interviewer: Do you have any plans for exhibitions? Or perhaps you’ve already had some? If so, tell us about them.

Hanna: Before entering university, during my school years, I had several exhibitions in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where I’m from. In the future, I certainly plan to have my own exhibitions because it’s always an important and significant event for any artist. It’s only a matter of time, as everything is just beginning.

Pictures were taken by Lyuda Lazarevich, Bohdanna Babkina