Who painted this unique lot?

Today we have a little surprise for you. We had a talk with the artist Olga Silevich (Khanenko), who painted a Javelin round for the auction. Everyone wants to help at the front line, but artists cannot take up arms and go to war. So, the weapons of the art front are brushes and paints. A weapon can also become a canvas, as in the case of our Javelin round. We brought it from the war zone. Now it’s an art object painted by a Ukrainian (Kropivnytskyi!) artist.

Olga Silevich (Khanenko) painted the Javelin round, and Andrii Khlyvniuk, the Boombox band frontman, signed it for the charity auction. Now, national painting blossoms on the remains of weapons that have already served to protect Ukrainians.

— Olga, please tell us about your creative experience.

— I graduated from the Faculty of Arts of our Pedagogical University named after V. Vynnychenko. My work and life have always been connected with design and creativity. I've been painting all the time lately, even on maternity leave! For some time I’ve been teaching ceramics to children. I worked at the Children and Youth Center. I’m passionate about graphic design, I love many forms. For some time I worked at an advertising agency. There’s creativity even in logos. I also made paintings, wall paintings, 3D images (bas-relief). Recently, I have also been working in advertising design and branding. The more creativity in the work, the more I like it. It's boring to be only a printing house worker.

— Are you involved in volunteering?

— Earlier, even before the full-scale war, we created ceramic products and raised funds, organized charity meetings for orphanages (Angel of Life), we held master classes in painting. Now, unfortunately, I don't have a lot of free time, because I became a mother for the second time six months ago, and my husband was called up for military service. Although I do what I can: I have a brush and paints, this is my creative front.

— To what extent is your work connected to Ukraine?

— The further you go, the more you want to find authentic and patriotic motives for painting. As a student, I studied Petrykiv painting and Trypillya culture, but we wanted something exotic back then. It turns out that there are so many interesting things in Ukraine, but they’re forgotten or little known! I love ethnic-style ornaments. On the Javelin round, I depicted our national coat of arms, and it’s perfect in my humble opinion as a designer. In general, I had premonition paintings before a full-scale war, in them, I recreated in advance what happened to Ukraine.

— What was the most interesting canvas in your practice?

— A small abstract mural in the center of Kropyvnytskyi, you can see it from the bridge, across the central Silpo supermarket. The main idea is love and the combination of two opposites. The mural is quite laconic and bright, it participated in the competition. So my handwriting is present in the outlines of my hometown.

— When you received the offer from the foundation to paint the Javelin round, how did you react to such an unusual request?

— A military item has turned into an art object. It was possible to transform pain into creativity, a military artifact into a cultural one, to transform a weapon into a piece of art that glorifies peace and life. I love creative challenges, although sometimes deadlines scare me, something out of the ordinary. The Foundation team wanted the coat of arms, the flag, and other Ukrainian symbols to be present on the Javelin round. I thought about how the painting would look vertically and horizontally. It was more difficult to come up with a composition, and how the painting will look from any angle. I decided the Petrykivka painting would fit here best because it’s versatile and concise. The lines from the song also look well next to it. If I had 3-4 more days, I’d paint the Javelin round all over, but now we’ve got stylish minimalism.

— Have you had an experience of similar work with Javelin rounds?

— No, this is the first time.

— Was there anything holding you back before starting work? Were the material and technique new to you? Was it easy enough to paint on?

— Earlier I consulted another artist, she also paints on cartridge cases. I also looked at the works of other masters and got inspired. I chose the style and the color. Acrylic paints go well with any material. The Javelin round is made of plastic, so the colors lay down perfectly. First, I wrote the lines from the Hymn of the Sich Riflemen, and then I painted a decorated viburnum. The whole job took me three days, and I worked at home.

— Are you satisfied with your work?

— This is a worthy exhibit for an auction, exhibition, or museum. In general, it would be cool to organize large-scale exhibitions and installations in museums with similar works of art. Many charity events have already taken place in Ukraine to raise funds for the Armed Forces. I know that even in Kropyvnytskyi there were exhibitions on the war theme by Olga Krasnopolska (@olhakrasnopolska_artist), Alyona Sarapina (@art_sarapina). I also have a couple of paintings on this topic.

— What would you like to say about this unique exhibit for the person who will buy it at our charity auction?

— In this exhibit, the main thing is not the form but the essence: the meaning of work as a whole, its symbolism. First, it is a symbol of war and our struggle. I put my soul into the work, and the patriot and singer, Andrii Khlyvniuk, backed it up with his autograph.