Ulyana was born in 1975 into a family of Ukrainian dissident artists. She lived in Dnepropetrovsk, a "closed" city during the Soviet times, that manufactured tanks and military hardware in the Cold War.
Her family moved to St. Petersburg where Ulyana began her art training aged 8, joining the Saint Petersburg Academy of Fine Art in 1993. She joined St Martins in London from the age of 21 where she completed her studies.
Since then she has worked as a full-time artist in London, holding many exhibitions.
In 2002 she was chosen by the 1766 Church of the Holy Shroud (Pokrovska) to re-paint its murals - a superb experience and honour.
She has been shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award 4 times, winning the Travel Award in 2003.
Biography
Public Commissions
April 2003 Portrait of Professor Moorey, Princeton University, USA
July 2002 Co-director/Design for mural in the church 'Of Holy Shroud on the Podil', Kiev, Ukraine
Solo Exhibitions
Dec 2002 Private Gallery, Rivington Street, London, UK
Jan 2002 The Gallery, Cork Street, London, UK
Joint Exhibitions
2003, 2001 and 1999 - BP Portrait Awards, National Portrait Gallery, London ,UK
Jan 2000 'Hunting Art Prize', London, UK
Oct 1999 Group Show, The Gallery, Cambridge, UK
June 1999 Stephen Walton Gallery, Bury St Edmunds, UK
April 1999 Bankside Browser', Tate Gallery Project, London UK
April 1999 Unicorn Gallery, London, UK
Nov 1998 'Rubel Art', Alchemy Gallery, London, UK
July 1998 'Arte Viva', International Art Festival, Senigallia, Italy
Jan 1998 'Paintings from Russia and Eastern Europe', 27 Cork St. Gallery, London, UK
Dec 1997 'Wheel of Fortune' (with Seamus McKinley), Alchemy Gallery, London, UK
Nov 1996 Private exhibition, The Wharf, London, UK
Oct 1996 Canadian-Ukranian Art Foundation Museum, Toronto, Canada
Dec 1995 'Light at the end of the tunnel' (with Inna Demidova), St. Petersburg, Russia
Oct 1995 'Summer Exhibition', Academy of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia
1992,1993 Ruthouse Gallery, Kelcheime, Germany
Other Collections
Works held in private collections in England, Italy, South Africa, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and USA
Works held in CUAF museum, Toronto, Canada and Commune de Senigallia museum, Italy.
Education
1996-98 BA Fine Art (Painting), Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, UK
1993-96 Saint Petersburg Academy of Fine Art, Saint Petersburg, Russia
1988-92 Secondary Art School of Saint Petersburg Academy of Fine Art, Russia
1986-88 N8 Evening Art School, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Testimonials
Brian Sewell, critic for the Evening Standard, wrote '[ulyana] bravely tackled ambitious large-scale compositions ... well worth watching.'
Angela Lambert, former art critic; writer and journalist (and owner of one of Ulyana's works) had the following remarks;
'Ulyana Gumeniuk's paintings display a wonderfully assured combination of Russian gravity, Ukrainian peasantry, and Western classical influences. Her work has echoes of Titian, Goya and the bawdy earthiness of Hogarth, all put into a modern context. Her bravura ability to handle paint is exceptional; her colour palette subtle and interesting.
I was so struck by the painting selected for the 2001 BP Young Portrait Painters' exhibition that I tracked Ulyana down and bought it. This was not for mercenary reasons -- I shall never sell it -- but because I found the picture so striking and mysterious. Now that I've seen more of her work, I am sure that Ulyana is one of the most talented and important young artists around today.'
Latest Updates
