Iliustroteka: Ukrainian Illustration Across the Twenties

On Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m., Mystetskyi Arsenal (28–30 I. Mazepa St.) will open the exhibition “Iliustroteka: Ukrainian Illustration Across the Twenties.” This project explores the themes of Ukrainian graphic art from the first third of the 20th century and its connection to contemporary illustration and art.

Curators: Oleg Gryshchenko and Olena Staranchuk (Pictoric).

The curators invite visitors to immerse themselves in the multi-layered world of Ukrainian illustration—from miniature lettering to monumental murals, and from hand-drawn graphic sheets to digital projects. In a dialogue across the twenties, Oleg Gryshchenko and Olena Staranchuk encourage us to see Ukraine’s graphic heritage as a living process: to explore it, discover new names, reinterpret it in our own practices, and create new Ukrainian illustration.

The first third of the 20th century was a pivotal stage in the development of modern Ukrainian graphic art and illustration. It was a period of political upheaval, liberation struggles, prominent figures, and an active search for national identity. Illustration, as one of the most democratic and accessible media, allowed artists to reflect on history, traditions, and the present. These very practices helped preserve Ukrainian cultural continuity throughout the 20th century, through wars, totalitarian pressure, and repression,

— project co-curator Olena Staranchuk.

CURATORIAL TEXT

Featured artists in the exhibition include Heorhii Narbut, Ivan Padalka, Tymko Boychuk, Sofiya Nalepinska-Boychuk, Maria Kotlyarevska, Ivan Sedlyar, Pavlo Kovzhun, Vasyl Krychevsky, Serhii Kononchuk, Oleksandr Ruban, Mykhailo Zhuk, and others. Alongside them are works by leading contemporary Ukrainian illustrators—Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, Tania Yakunova, Jenya Polosina, Anna Ivanenko, Oksana Bula, Anna Sarvira, Grasya Oliyko, Oleksandr Shatokhin, and more—creating a space for dialogue.

We invite you to see this dialogue not only as a historical comparison, but also as an opportunity to sense the continuity of the cultural process. The 1920s and the 2020s have much in common: both are periods of social upheaval, but also times of powerful cultural surges, when art helps shape a new image of the country in the world,

— project co-curator Oleg Gryshchenko.

The exhibition will consist of four thematic halls, each exploring a different aspect of Ukrainian illustration: the art of book covers, the history of Ukrainian graphic arts schools, the characteristics of Ukrainian children’s illustration, and manifestations of illustration beyond the book.

We continue to narrate the story of Ukrainian culture over the last century, showcasing how contemporary artists interpret our heritage. One of our most significant projects is the exhibition Futuromarennia. We first presented it at the Mystetskyi Arsenal’s own galleries before the Russian invasion, and then—during the full-scale war—at the Estonian KUMU and the Belgian FeliX Art & Eco Museum, in collaboration with our partners. Today, working with museum exhibits is an extraordinary challenge, as preservation must take precedence over all else. However, by collaborating with artists, we can still tell this story—and it is truly fascinating,

— Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, Director General of Mystetskyi Arsenal.

One of the central installations will be the famous alphabet by Heorhii Narbut—one of the most renowned examples of early 20th-century Ukrainian graphic art. Narbut was unable to complete this work in full during his lifetime. Contemporary illustrators are continuing his vision, creating their own interpretations of the letters and supplementing the alphabet with images of the present day, from themes of war and shelters to ironic scenes of everyday life.

The exhibition features both original works and digital reprints.

The exhibition is open from April 2 to May 10, 2026.
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 12:00 PM–8:00 PM (ticket office closes at 7:30 PM).
On opening day, April 2, the exhibition will be open from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

More information about tickets

The exhibition is organised in cooperation with Art Arsenal Community NGO, with the support of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU). The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) is a multi-donor programme funded by Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. PFRU’s objective is to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience in the face of Russian aggression by delivering essential support to local communities in collaboration with the Ukrainian government, civil society, and the private sector.

Partners
Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine
National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture
National Library of Ukraine for Children
Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine
National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine
National Art Museum of Ukraine
Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre
Pedagogical Museum of Ukraine
Central State Archive-Museum of Literature and Arts of Ukraine
Lean Art Foundation
Pictoric
Cambridge.ua

Technical partner
ERGO

❗ We care about everyone’s safety, so in case of an air raid alert, the exhibition will be closed. At this time, you can go to the nearest shelter. The exhibition will start working after the end of an air raid alert.