UIA to host "New Horizons" (03/15/98)

UIA to host "New Horizons"

NEW YORK - As part of an ongoing celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Ukrainian Institute of America will be featuring the works of four artists in a show titled "New Horizons: An Exhibit of Contemporary Art." The show will include the paintings of Marko Shuhan, sculptures of Anya Farion and Nelli Fedchyn, and the mixed-media installation pieces of Roman Hrab. The exhibit will be on display Saturday, March 21, to Sunday, March 29, with the opening reception to be held on Saturday, March 21, at 5 p.m. The artists chosen encompass the breadth of modern art, providing for a succinct display of expression through the use of different types of media.

Born in Ukraine and trained in Lviv, Ms. Fedchyn has displayed her works extensively throughout Europe, and has won awards in numerous salon exhibits. In the style of Moore and Arp, Ms. Fedchyn's sculptures combine the simplicity of form utilizing biomorphic abstraction while retaining a classical motif. Her pieces are on display as part of museum collections in Lviv, Kyiv, Italy and Russia.

Originally from the New York metro area, Mr. Shuhan currently resides in Kerhonkson, N.Y. Mr. Shuhan was educated at the School of Visual Arts in New York and has displayed his works in various galleries in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Woodstock, N.Y. His action paintings exhibit a dynamic balance of form and shape which are accentuated by vivid colors. On occasion, Mr. Shuhan will use recurring themes and imagery in a series of paintings.

In her works with marble, Ms. Farion explores the anatomical elements of the human figure using both hand-carving techniques and the pneumatic hammer to produce sculptures with largely unbroken surfaces, some more abstract than others, but all reflecting the dignity of the human form. Ms. Farion received her bachelor of fine arts from Manhattanville College and went on to study marble carving at the Istituto Statale dell'Arte in Italy. She has received various awards, including a Fulbright grant, and has displayed her works internationally in Italy, Ukraine, Canada and throughout the United States.

Unlike the stone sculptures of Ms. Fedchyn and Ms. Farion, or the painted pieces of Mr. Shuhan, Mr. Hrab has chosen to utilize non-traditional media for his works. His pieces are composed of a variety of materials such as smoked steel, wood, copper and, on some occasions, soil mixed onto a canvas to help reflect and communicate, as well as raise questions, about the information they contain. Mr. Hrab received a master of fine arts from Janus Pannonius University in Pecs, Hungary, and has exhibited in Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, Chicago and Philadelphia.

The art show being held at the Ukrainian Institute of America, 2 E. 79th St., is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the institute's founding in 1948 by William Dzus, acclaimed engineer, innovator and philanthropist. As part of this jubilee and in the spirit of its founders, various events will be held to promote and attract people from the Ukrainian community as well from outside to visit and become acquainted with Ukraine, its people and its cultural heritage.