The exhibition brings together works in which the author’s personal experiences intertwine with Ukrainian and European cultural contexts. Among the works on display are “City in the Rain,” “Dimension of Light,” “Light at the Edge of the World,” “Meeting of Two Shores,” and a series of the author’s photo-art pieces.
During the exhibition’s opening, Rostyslav Prokopiuk said that all the emotions he experiences remain in his paintings, photographs, and other works.
“My work is not only about art, but about a person — their soul, memory, pain, hope, and strength. Every painting, photograph, or collage was born from my emotions and my desire to share them with the viewer. I want every exhibition to become a space for sincere encounters and dialogue, so that anyone who stops in front of the works feels there is something more here than just paint on canvas,” says Rostyslav Prokopiuk.
Rostyslav Prokopiuk has lived and worked in Czechia for 34 years. At the same time, as he himself emphasized during the opening, physical presence in Europe does not mean distance from Ukraine. Many people came to the exhibition who know Rostyslav Prokopiuk not only as an artist, but also as a person who has spent many years working with Ukrainian themes abroad. Director Serhii Faifura drew attention to the integrity of his body of work.
“When a person has a very clear core, they know what they want to paint, they know what they want to say. This is very important, this is very valuable. Because there is a seed here. And that seed is, after all, Ukraine,” said Serhii Faifura.
For the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, supporting such cultural projects is part of its broader work of presenting Ukraine to the world and creating opportunities for dialogue through culture.
“Culture often does what official statements cannot — it allows you to speak with people directly. Rostyslav Prokopiuk’s exhibition is an example of how art becomes a space for Ukrainian-European dialogue and helps people better understand one another. For the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, supporting such projects is about creating an environment where Ukrainian culture becomes part of the European dialogue,” noted Artem Mykolaichuk, Chairman of the Board of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation.
After the opening of the exhibition, Rostyslav Prokopiuk presented his solo performance “The Living Drink Coffee.” The production became a continuation of the conversation begun in the exhibition hall, but this time in the language of theater — through personal stories, experiences, loss, human resilience, and hope.
The exhibition “Energy of Good” will run at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture until August 26, 2026.
“The Academy was created not only as an educational institution — in the vision of its founders, it was meant to be an artistic European center. Today we are returning to that mission: we aim to develop the Academy as a center of Ukrainian art, and eventually of European cultural dialogue. And this exhibition is one testament to that movement,” noted Oleksandr Tsuhorka, Rector of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture.
Everyone is welcome to visit the exhibition from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on August 12, 19, and 26; guided tours of the exhibition will take place on August 13, 14, 20, and 21; advance registration is required at https://forms.gle/HCEJMRVdYGRkdReUA
Venue: National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Kyiv, Voznesenskyi Uzviz, 20.
Organizers: National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, and the Ukrainian Institute in Prague.
