“I painted on a white background specifically for the space of this cafe, in spite of my “black” paintings” – Vladislav Gabda

The meeting with the honored artist of Ukraine Vladyslav Gabda took place in the "VOTO" art-café. It was there where his paintings "Utilitarian on white" have been exhibited for a month. He told about the exhibition the following:

 "My task was to find approach to people through my works. If I were exhibiting paintings of my "black" period here, the exhibition would look somewhat depressing. Such works require walls of the Gallery of Modern Art. And here, in a cafe, among coffee, utensils and objects, people come to to have a coffee and to see paintings while they’re at it. Of course, I would like it to be the opposite: people to come to see my paintings and to drink coffee while they’re at it. In general, I want painting and art to become a necessity for people. But I adjusted myself to the space and depicted a kind of utilitarian art. After all, you can not make a grand revolution in a cafe. The space, where people drink coffee and eat pastries, sets certain limits for you. Cafes are like salons, and I do not particularly like them.  

I painted on a white background specially for the space of this cafe, in spite of my "black" paintings.  I used pastel colors. I did not use any frames. By the way, when I was just starting to create my crazy picture, the frame was the only thing that helped me find the connection with the audience (laughs. – Ed.). Now understand that without it, the work of the artist becomes free.  Picture frame is an artist’s complex. I was living long with it. I used to think that the wider the frame, the better the artist. Now I understand, that the frame constricts and kills contemporary art"- Vladislav Gabda concludes.