Mykola Babak

Mykola Babak (Ukrainian: Микола Бабак, 10 June 1954) is a Ukrainian artist, writer, publisher, and art collector from Cherkasy Oblast.

Biography

Mykola Babak was born in Voronyntsi, Cherkasy Oblast. In 1971 he finished Melnyky Secondary School. From 1972 till 1972 he served in the Soviet Army. After demobilization he worked as a designer at Cherkasy "Azot" Company and at Cherkasy Combine of art-advertisement. From 1979 till 1985 together with group of Russian artists he managed monumental projects (paintings, mosaics, stained-glass windows) in the far-east of Russia. In 1986 Mykola Babak came back to Ukraine.

Babak is the member of National Union of Artists of Ukraine (from 1990), Merited Artist of Ukraine (2004), Shevchenko National Prize Laureate (2010). His works are at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine, Ministry of Culture and Mass-Communication of Russian Federation. Babak lives and works in Cherkasy.

Art

Babak's artistic works are made in the techniques of hyperreality, neo-expressionism, transavantgarde, assemblage. The artist adheres to the stylistic principles of post-avantgarde. He is known for his national project "Your children, Ukraine" at the 51st Venice Biennale (2005).

Collecting

In 1990 Babak began to collect Ukrainian folk art. He has collections of folk icons from the 18th to 20th centuries, folk naïve paintings, folk photos and household items of the central upper Dnieper River region. The collection of folk icons is considered to be the most outstanding while it represents the iconography of Taras Shevchenko's land where the basis of the Ukrainian nation, language and culture was formed.