Makov Pavlo

Makov Pavlo — Ukrainian graphic artist, one of the most prominent contemporary artists of Ukraine, known for his unique style, combining graphics with philosophical reflections on society, cities and space.

Born on August 28, 1958 in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad, USSR) to a family of doctors. His artistic career developed in the context of post-Soviet times, where Makov managed to combine the influence of the Soviet art school with new, Western artistic approaches.

Education

Pavlo Makov began his art education at the Mykola Samokish Crimean Art School in 1974, where he received basic knowledge of graphics and drawing. After that, he studied at the I.Yu. Repin Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. In 1986, Makov graduated from the Kiev State Art Institute, where he received a specialization in graphic artist. Pavel's teachers were such outstanding Ukrainian artists as Vasyl Lopata and Vasyl Chebanik, who significantly influenced the formation of his artistic worldview.

Career and style

Pavlo Makov is a representative of conceptual art. He is known for his works in etching and linocut techniques, and also created graphic works in various media. His style is distinguished by philosophical reflections on the topic of urbanism, space, and human interaction with the environment. His works often depict conventional urban landscapes, abstract spaces, labyrinths, symbolizing man's search for his place in the world.

One of Makov's most famous series of works is "Road Map", which explores the themes of memory, space and time. Another iconic series is "Garden Time", where the author comprehends the concept of the city as a living organism. Makov depicts the city not only as a collection of buildings, but as a developing and changing environment.

Exhibitions and international recognition

Makov has exhibited extensively in Ukraine and abroad. His works have been presented at numerous international exhibitions in Europe, America and Asia. Among his most notable solo exhibitions are those in Ukraine, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Germany and the USA. In 2009, his works were presented at the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious international art events. He has also repeatedly participated in exhibitions at the Art Arsenal and PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv.

Works in collections:

The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow; The Pushkin State Museum of Art, Moscow; The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, Scotland; The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, Scotland; The National Gallery, Washington DC; The Library of Congress, Washington, DC; The Corcoran Museum of Art, Washington DC; The National Gallery of Art, Kyiv; The State Museum of Russian Art, Kyiv; The National Museum of Art, Taipei, ROC; The Center for Contemporary Art, Osaka, Japan; Fyn's Art Museum, Odense, Denmark; The Wellesley College Collection, Massachusetts, USA; California Palace of Legion of Honor of San Francisco Art Museums, USA; The Museum of Modern Art, Ibiza, Spain; The Zimmerli Museum, Rutgers University, USA; The Civic Museum, Cremona, Italy; The Pinchuk Foundation for Contemporary Art in Ukraine; The National Museum of Art, Tallinn; Art Museum, Gyor, Hungary; Art Museum, Sumy, Ukraine.

In 2022, Makov represented Ukraine at the Venice Biennale with the installation "Fountain of Exhaustion", which became a symbol of reflection on the modern world, oversaturated with information and exhaustive resources.

Contribution to art and collection

Pavel Makov's works are in leading museum and private collections around the world. His works are kept in the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Kharkiv Art Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the British Museum in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Gallery in Washington, as well as in numerous private collections around the world.

Awards and recognition

Pavlo Makov is a laureate of numerous art awards and distinctions. He is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and the Royal Society of Artists of Great Britain. For his contribution to the development of Ukrainian graphics and contemporary art, he received the National Taras Shevchenko Prize of Ukraine in 2022.

Since 1988 – member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine, since 1994 – member of the Royal Society of Painters and Graphic Artists of Great Britain, since 2006 – corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Participant and winner of many exhibitions of graphics, including the "Biennale of Graphics" (Kaliningrad, Russia, 1990, 1992, 1998), the VI International Biennale of Graphics and Drawing (Taipei, Taiwan, 1993), "Osaka Triennale 94" 1994), National Triennale of Graphics (Kyiv, 1997), International Triennale of Graphics (Prague, 1998) and others.

Awarded the Silver Medal of ASU (2008).

Life and personality

Makov has lived in Kharkiv for many years, where he continues to work and create new works. Despite international recognition, he remains deeply attached to Ukrainian culture and context, often reflecting in his works the events and changes taking place in Ukrainian society.

Interesting facts

Pavlo Makov collected old geographical maps, which became one of the sources of inspiration for his works about space and the city.

In 2015, he curated the exhibition "Urbanism and Nature" in Kharkiv, where he presented new interpretations of the interaction between man and the environment.

His installation "Fountain of Exhaustion" has become an emblem of both modern environmental problems and the oversaturated information society.

Since the early 1990s, Pavel Makov has been creating art books, a special kind of art also called an “author’s book.” Makov’s art books are a kind of “documentary mystification.” They consist of various elements: photographs, collages from old sheets of paper, fragments of wallpaper, diagrams, drawings, inscriptions, numbers, and other materials that the author integrates into an imaginary, fictional plot. Each art book is an individual work of art, where the artist’s personal experience is intertwined with visual images and symbols that reveal deeper meanings and ideas.

One of Pavel Makov's works was sold for $100,000, the money went to charity.

Makov took part in the creation of the August issue of Forbes Ukraine. Curator Olga Balashova suggested that he and nine other Ukrainian artists use the magazine as an exhibition space.

Pavlo Makov is an artist whose work goes beyond traditional graphics. His works explore deep themes concerning the interaction between man and the world, nature and the city, memory and space. Makov remains an important figure in Ukrainian and world art, constantly searching for new forms of expression and understanding of contemporary realities.

Creation

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