Projection, 2020

Yaroslav Kostko  

Yaroslav Kostko (born 1986, Novyi Rozdil, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian sculptor based in Lviv. Working across small sculptural objects, freestanding compositions and monumental sculpture, he explores the human figure as an expression of inner experience. His practice centres on psychological states, emotion and the relationship between the individual and the surrounding world.

Kostko combines figurative modelling with fragmentation, open space and contrasting textures. Bodies and faces become structures through which he examines vulnerability, tension and transformation. His compositions bring together recognisable anatomy and symbolic imagery, inviting viewers to consider what lies beneath the visible surface.

Concrete holds a particular place in his practice. Kostko values its capacity to produce distinctive textures that, in his experience, cannot be achieved through other materials. These surfaces contribute to the emotional character of his sculptures, bringing roughness and delicacy into close dialogue. He also works with metal, as well as stone and wood, exploring the expressive possibilities of each medium.

He graduated from the Department of Monumental and Decorative Sculpture at the Lviv National Academy of Arts in 2009, receiving a master’s degree, and began teaching in the department that year. He has been a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine since 2017.

Kostko has participated in sculpture symposia and exhibitions in Ukraine, Poland, Turkey and Moldova. His works are held in private collections and installed in Ukraine and abroad. In 2019, he won the “Inspired by Pinsel” sculpture competition in Lviv.

In 2024, his first solo exhibition, Touch…, was presented at the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, bringing together works concerned with human experience and emotional perception. In 2026, his sculptures Wandering, Touch and Projection were exhibited in Birth at PARK3020 in Strilky, Lviv region.

Kostko welcomes commission enquiries for private collections, architectural settings and public spaces. Selected existing works can be considered for reinterpretation at different scales, including large monumental versions, or in alternative materials such as bronze. He is also open to developing new sculptural projects in dialogue with collectors, architects and commissioning organisations, with scale, material and feasibility considered individually.