Cathedral in Soft Light, 2024

Mykola Bodnar  

Mykola Bodnar was born on May 7, 1956, in Hrušovo, Transcarpathian Ukraine. From 1971 to 1975, he studied at the Secondary School of Arts and Crafts in Uzhhorod, specializing in artistic metalwork. He then continued his studies at the Lviv Academy of Fine Arts from 1979 to 1984, at the Faculty of Interior Design.

In 1991, he moved to Slovakia, where he worked in Košice. Since 2013, he has been living and creating in Dunajská Lužná, where he has his studio. Throughout his artistic career, he has participated in various symposia and held numerous solo exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad.

Mykola Bodnar’s work is a unique synthesis of various artistic styles. His landscape paintings incorporate elements of Impressionist plein air painting while employing a thick, impasto brushstroke reminiscent of Expressionism and precise color modeling of space. His artworks focus on landscapes, still lifes, and architecture. He paints mountains, lakes, rivers, atmospheric forest fragments, and majestic trees, with a particular fondness for nocturnal motifs by the water. He masterfully captures reflections on the water’s surface and the ambiance of night cityscapes. His floral still lifes radiate vibrancy, evoking a sense as if the viewer could almost smell their fragrance.

In addition to his realistic work, he also explores abstraction. His abstract paintings are characterized by spontaneity, dynamic gestural painting, and intensely radiant colors. Color serves as the primary means of expression in his emotive and atmospheric artistic approach. His paintings create a visual symphony of color gradations, contrasts, and textures, often utilizing a relief technique by applying paint with a palette knife.

Over the years, Mykola Bodnar has developed a distinctive style, yet he continues to experiment and seek new expressive possibilities to keep pushing his artistic expression forward.