Oleksii Shcherbak: All Eyes on Paris

We talk to Oleksii Shcherbak in the week of Art Basel Paris to discover the artist’s recommended sights in the city, and the secrets of his otherworldly portraiture as featured in our group exhibition, Dante’s Inferno.

Unit: How is Paris feeling this week, with the arrival of Art Basel into town?

Oleksii Shcherbak: The air is electric, that’s for sure. Everyone has become more active, as if everyone is remembering each other, planning many studio visits, with openings one after another. It seems to me the charge is wonderful.

How long have you lived and worked there? 

It’s already been two years. The charm of the city is inexhaustible, especially for artists, with the character of the city and the buildings that breathe history. It’s an unbelievable place.

Are there any places in particular you would recommend to those visiting this week?

I love all of the museums, especially the Bourdelle Museum, Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie and the Musée Rodin, as well as the d’Orsay and Louvre of course. I’d say a good idea is simply to get lost on the little streets of the Marais – there are so many galleries there I use the Paris Gallery Map app, it’s very useful.

What is your studio like, and how would you describe your day-to-day creative practice?

I currently have a work space at L’École des Beaux Arts where I paint. I would say my schedule is flexible but it’s a full-time job as well. I am never away from work for a long time, but at the same time never feel burnt out probably because I work across multiple projects, like developing characters for video games, or illustrations for tabletop games and books. It refreshes my vision and keeps me from getting stuck as I can explore my characters in different disciplines 

Usually I’m working on a couple of paintings at the same time, then pause and go back to the previous one, scrape off some layers, rethink, repaint. I don’t make precise sketches for them so there is no certain “system”, and a major part comes down to the process – an immense part of the painting is unknown to me.

I always need two strong cups of coffee in the morning and a cold shower – this part is non-negotiable!

What was your response to learning about the Dante’s Inferno show, and how did you interpret and respond to the literary themes of Hell?

I was surprised and grateful to have such a captivating opportunity to participate in this exhibition. I’ve been immersed in and fascinated by the grotesque for a long time, including phantasmagoric aesthetics and the theme of the afterlife, and it’s always delightful to draw on such great literature when working on a series of paintings.

Please could you talk about your work Centaur, and how you use hybrid figures and creatures in your work?

These chimaeras often serve as tools for me to reveal the psychological traits of the protagonist. The forms of these creatures intertwine with the hero, or his direct continuation in the strange masses that often reflects “what” the character is addressing us with, something that will describe him in this moment, to tell his silent story rather than his appearance. 

I was especially excited to work on Centaur, and the process was so organic and intuitive everything in my head fell into place quite quickly, but there was a slight anxiety because I took an old photo of my father as a reference for the character. I had never painted him before and had a strange feeling about weaving in the story of this silent man, but there was no doubt as to whether I should do it. In a way, his character was perfectly revealed to me in the image of this tired centaur, who obviously has an atypical straightforward biography having found himself in such an exotic job in hell, and I tried to convey this fatigue with all possible grace, without being heavy and dramatic.

How did you develop the distinct visual identity of your paintings?

My practice is mostly an attempt to subtly and gracefully capture the inconsistencies of our sensitive experiences, that may have been hidden until now. Recently, I have been drawn towards chasing chain reactions of memories, often unpredictably triggered, chasing thoughts flowing in the absurdity and fluidity of time.

After completing my studies at the Academy of Arts in Kyiv and the art school before that which placed a strong emphasis on academic figurative painting, I was fortunate to gain a certain knowledge base of composition, colour, etc, and I continue to reflect on and draw upon these vital foundations. I have already begun preparing for a big solo exhibition in China at the end of summer next year.

Thank you Oleksii – enjoy your week!