“Action has magic…” (Goethe)
Andrey
Kovalenko was born on 20-th of October, 1976, in Odessa, Ukraine. His
parents, the artist Yuriy Kovalenko and the artist Svetlana
Kovalenko-Shvedova, surrounded him with love and care from the yearly
childhood. Every summer Andriy Kovalenko spent in age-old town
Pryluky. The unique beauty of the town, its distinctive character,
traditions, picturesque nature with its mysterious forests and
spiritual atmosphere formed inspiration as well as refined,
particular perception of the future artist.
In
1991 A. Kovalenko entered painting pedagogical department of Odessa
State Art College named after M. B. Grekov (the teachers: O. B.
Dekina, V. I. Ostasheva, E. P. Kuchinskaya, P. I. Borisyuk, K. V.
Filatov).
When
he entered the art college, he was displaying no eagerness to
painting. With the time the feeling of creative process,
companionship of the art college mates (E. Petrov and A. Litovkin)
gradually changed the world view of Andrey, he began to understand
his mission.
In
1996, a few months before defending diploma, the first personal
exhibition of A. Kovalenko in the Exhibition Hall of the Artist Union
of Ukraine took place.
The
diploma defense (the presentation of the paintings “Evening”,
“Music”) was held under the scientific leadership of his teacher
Valentin Andreyevich Zaharchenko.
Upon
graduation from Odessa State Art College named after M. B. Grekov,
the artist went on journey to the cities of Kiev and St. Petersburg,
following the results of which he decided not to enter further
educational institutions, but to begin directly and fruitfully to
embody his creative conceptions.
In
April, 2000, a personal exhibition of A. Kovalenko took place in
Odessa Museum of Eastern and Western Art. In December of the same
year Andrey won in the contest “Choose Your Dream”, and so was
granted with organization and holding of a personal exhibition in the
house museum of I. Kavaleridze (Andriyivskyy Descent, Kiev). Andrey’s
father, Yuriy Andreyevich Kovalenko, sharp wittedly named the event
“Andrey’s ascent”. The exhibition was a success; the artist’s
paintings were purchased by Kiev collectors.
Elated
with success, being motivated with new positive emotions and
impressions, A. Kovalenko set about working more persistently,
finding new opportunities to express his perception of the world
through the medium of his paintings. That time the prominent artworks
“The Red Tram”, “The Storks”, “Autumn for Two”, “The
Dream”, “The Mother of Forests”, “The Bridge upon the River
of Dreams” were painted. The artist started co-operation with the
art-club “Rakurs”, took part in a series of joint exhibitions and
plain-airs.
In
2005 A. Kovalenko was invited for co-operation and carrying on his
creative labour in St. Petersburg, where he was engaged in artistic
endeavour for a month. During this period the artist took part in
joint exhibition of Petersburg and Moscow artists “The
“Petersburg-Venice” Express”, (the gallery “National Centre”,
St. Petersburg).
These
years A. Kovalenko gained acceptance of the art collectors (M.
Knobel, S. Vernik, E. Demenyuk and the others), and demand for his
artworks. One of Andrey’s paintings is in private collection of
Yuriy Shevchuk, a leader of a popular rock band “DDT”.
In
2008, the artist entered the National Artist Union of Ukraine. The
same year another personal exhibition of the artist was held in
Odessa Art Museum, which was successful in all respects.
Four years
on, in 2012, the same museum hosted the exhibition “Existensions”,
where artworks painted during 2008-2012 were presented. Such
colourful paintings as “Awakening”, “Middle-Winter”,
“Once upon a Time”, “Fish-Day”, “A House of a Good Man”
became the hallmark of this
period. In 2013 the artist spent summer travelling in Poland
(plain-air “Sakrum” in Tukhov city) and in southern Italy, where
the series of artworks were painted. As an outcome of his creative
trips in spring of the next year the exhibitions took place in Odessa
(in the gallery“Markoff” and art-café “Salieri”).
A.
Kovalenko often visits Pryluky, the hometown of his father, where at
the suggestion of Pryluky Local History Museum named after V. I.
Maslov the exhibition “Welcomed by the City” was held.
A.
Kovalenko carries on a fruitful and creative life, by taking up an
active life and social position. He is a supervisor of the exhibition
of Y. Kovalenko in the Museum of Modern Art of Odessa. A. Kovalenko
goes on taking part in various art projects, plain-airs, co-operation
with art galleries.
The
paintings of A. Kovalenko are in Odessa Art Museum, Museum of Modern
Art of Odessa, Kiev house museum named after I. Kavaleridze, Kiev Art
Museum named after T. G. Shevchenko, in private collections in
Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Japan, USA.
The
artist lives and works in Odessa.
