About Artist

With only a suggestion of place, the man-made and the object, Petro Smetana’s paintings are masterfully expansive and tend toward the impossible sum of the present moment, the past, and the future — what was manufactured, built and its far-reaching fall-out. He doesn’t allow his work to be classified as either abstract or figurative. One moment he seems an abstract painter uniquely attuned to the physical world and another he seems an observational painter with a command of the abstract elements of painting. What he seeks is that which lies between the two.

As a technically demanding artist, Smetana is just finding his way. What’s distinctive about his paintings is their progressive appearance, with slabs of paint of natural and unnatural coloration that he often literally lays on with putty knives, spatulas and trowels. The lumps of colors are pleasing in themselves, showing subtle modulation, variety and an intrinsic feel for balance. Move one of them a little, and the effect is spoiled.

Of Smetana, art historian Dmytro Korsun remarks, “He paints only what has remained in his memory and what is greater than just a fragment of time and space. In case with Smetana’s paintings we have caught the world on the verge of destruction — buildings are undermined, yards are in ruins, pipes of plants are passive; everything is ready to fall down just as scenery at the end of a theater play. But, the artist doesn’t  turn a blind eye to something that is unworthy of art — concrete fences, soot of abandoned industrial areas, smut, various bits and pieces used in the course of life. When the painter thinks all this over, these objects become a brilliant material of art. Smetana’s paintings produce complicated feelings: they attract yet at the same time disturb, evoke admiration without subscribing to the popular notions of beauty.”

Petro Smetana studied design and graduated from the Lviv National Forest-Technical University. He is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and has exhibited actively since 2007 in Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Poland, and the United States. Recent activity includes participation in “Painting 2019,” the VIII All-Ukrainian Triennial in Kyiv (Ukraine) and an exhibition with Green Sofa Gallery in Lviv (Ukraine). He lives and works in Lviv.

Biography

Petro Smetana was born 28.01.1985 in Sambir, Lviv region.

In 2008 Graduated Lviv National Forest-Technical University – Design.

Since 2012 a member of National artists Community of Ukraine.

The participant of international scholarship program “Gaude Polonia” in 2016.

Lives and works in Lviv.

Petro Smetana studied design and graduated from the Lviv National Forest-Technical University. He is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and has exhibited actively since 2007 in Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Poland, and the United States. Recent activity includes participation in “Painting 2019,” the VIII All-Ukrainian Triennial in Kyiv (Ukraine) and an exhibition with Green Sofa Gallery in Lviv (Ukraine).

Exhibitions

Exhibition in the subdivision of the Museum of Contemporary Art. Lefkosa, Cyprus.

VІIІ All-Ukrainian triennial “Painting-2019”. Central House of Artists, Kyiv, Ukraine.

The Ephemeral Landscape. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

The Ephemeral Landscape. “Triptych Art” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Framing Reality. “Saphira & Ventura” Gallery, New York, USA.

Dialogues of Imagination “Tenri Gallery”, New York, USA.

The Alternative Perspective. “Saphira & Ventura” Gallery, New York, USA.

2018

The third action. Andrei Sheptytsky National Museum. Lviv, Ukraine.

Soot. “Triptych Art “ Gallery. Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukrainian Still Life. “Karas Gallery”, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukrainian Still Life. Institute for Modern Art Problems, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Art Marbella 2018. “Triptych Art” Gallery, Marbella, Spain.

Soot within the “Kyiv Art Week”, “Triptych Art” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Changing of the Aggregate State. “White World” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Elevator. Residence “Sorry, no rooms available”, exhibition of partici pants of the residence, Uzhhorod, Ukraine.

2017

Disappearing cities. City Museum. Lviv, Ukraine.

Disappearing cities. “White World” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

More than Ukraine. Exhibition space “Kyiv Forstress”, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Under the Pinzel’s star. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

The first Official Exhibition on the Territory of the Residence. Art Resi dence “Velykyi Pereviz”, Poltava region, Ukraine.

Antroposphere. “White World” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Non figurative art fest. “Triptych Art” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Lviv Painting School. All-ukrainian project “GENESIS”. “Veles Artsalon”, Uzhhorod, Ukraine.

Spring Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Internal Japan. Curatorial project. Kyiv Museum of History, Kyiv, Odessa Museum of western and Oriental Art, Odessa, Ukraine.

Just Them. Exhibition. “White World” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

2016

Painting. “Kordegarda” Gallery. Warsaw, Poland.

Disappearing cities. Museums Of The Friends Of The Art. Сraсow, Poland.

Painting. The second action. Lviv National Art Gallery. Lviv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Autumn Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Walking on the Great Silk Road. Shanghai, China.

Spring Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

2015

Disappearing cities. “Dzyga“ Gallery. Lviv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

September Impressions. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Spring Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

2014

Painting. “Madam Palmgren“ Gallery. Lviv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

We Are Together. “Art Svit” Gallery, Dnipro, Ukraine.

Spring Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

2013

Equilibrium. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Uncertainty of tomorrow. “Dzyga“ Gallery. Lviv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Days of Lviv in Sumy. Exhibition. Municipal Gallery, Sumy, Ukraine.

Spring Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Woman Portrait. Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

The collective exhibition devoted to the anniversary of creation of the “Lemish” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

2012

Fruits on the metal. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Legends and Myths of Your Country. Exhibition. “Stara Zagora” Gallery, Bulgaria.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian Artist Day Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

City. Exhibition. “Lemish” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Euro 2012. Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Flower Show. The Museum in Hangzhou, Hangzhou, China.

Flower Show. “Lemish” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

2011

Christmas and New Year mood. Exhibition. “Lemish” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian Christmas Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Autumn Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Affordable art Fair. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Still Life. Exhibition. “Lemish” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Exhibition in the “Nova-Zagora” Gallery, Bulgaria.

Ivan Kupala Day Exhibition. “Lemish” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Picturesque Ukraine. All-ukrainian exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Fine art. Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Milk. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

2010

Colored signs of the pros and cons. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

To Light the Sun. Exhibition. “Kairos” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Autumn Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Picturesque Ukraine. All-ukrainian exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

School of the Lviv’s Art. Exhibition. “Amelie” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Flower Galaxy. Lviv, Ukraine.

2009

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian Christmas Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

School of the Lviv’s Art. Exhibition. “Pit Art” Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Autumn Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Art Fair. Group exhibition. Istanbul, Turkey.

No offence. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian Artist Day Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

On the Shore of Lviv. Berestechko, Mlyniv, Mukachevo, Ukraine.

Picturesque Ukraine. All-ukrainian exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Gogol Days Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Love of the Emerald Horses. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

The 140th Anniversary of the Birth of I. Trush. Exhibition. Lviv, Ukraine.

2008

Autumn Salon. Lviv Palace of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine.

Christmas Exhibition. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

2007

Rainbow. 5 exhibitions. Lviv, Ukraine.

Picturesque Ukraine. All-ukrainian exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian Artist Day Exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

The Triennial of Painting. All-ukrainian exhibition. Exhibition halls of National Artist’s Union of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

25 cm in square. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.

Spring in Constantinople. “Green Sofa” Gallery, Lviv, Ukraine.