PAINTING ON FEATHERS BY ULYANA ROSHCHUPKINA

ABSTRACT

The main aim of this article is to consider the uniqueness of the Russian painter from Yevpatoriya of the Republic of Crimea Uliyana Roshchupkina's oeuvres in the context of one of the art directions – painting on feathers.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Целью данной статьи стало рассмотрение творчества российской художницы из г. Евпатории Республики Крым Ульяны Рощупкиной в контексте одного из направлений искусства – живописи на перьях.

Keywords: painting on feathers, Ulyana Roshchupkina, artist, Yevpatoriya.

Ключевые слова: живопись на перьях, Ульяна Рощупкина, художница, Евпатория.

Art, the basis of which is the feather of a bird, has become the object of various cultural and art studies worldwide [2]. Some known artists who work exclusively in this direction of painting are considered in many scientific publications and articles [2]. The relevance of this study is due to the interest in feather painting in Russia, particularly the work of the artist Ulyana Roshchupkina [3] from Yevpatoria City, Republic of Crimea.

The main aim of the article is to consider the exceptionality of Ulyana Roshchupkina’s work as a unique phenomenon in Russian painting.

Ulyana Roshchupkina was born on February 19, 1982, in Yevpatoriya. After graduating from the Yevpatoriya Children's Art School named after Yu. Volkov, she became a student at the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University and continued to improve her talent in the art and graphics department. Having received a specialist diploma in fine and decorative arts, Ulyana worked as a master of ostrich egg painting at “Sergiev Posad” cultural and ethnographic complex in Saki. In 2014, she was accepted into the Crimean organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (youth association). In 2015 she became a member of the "Union of Artists of Russia" (VTOO "CXP") (youth association), after which in 2017 she joined "The Union of Artists of Russia" (VTOO "CXP"), a member of the International Association of Fine Arts UNESCO since 2020, Yevpatoriyan artist has been accepted into the Eurasian Art Union, and in 2021 Ulyana Roshchupkina included into the League of the Union of Creative Professionals “International Guild of Masters” (Museum “Russian Lefty, St. Petersburg”). The list of her exhibitions is impressive: every year is marked by a similar author’s event. The victories of artists' works also don’t allow showing indifference to unique paintings that require enormous attention, concentration and time. For example, the works of Ulyana Roshchupkina received 1st place in the VIII International Exhibition and Competition of Contemporary Art “St. Petersburg Art Week” in the decorative design competition, category “Decorative Painting” (St. Petersburg, 2016). At the Second International Exhibition and Competition of Contemporary Art “Art Week in China” in the category “Decorative Painting” in Beijing, the art of our artist receives the 3rd place (Beijing, 2016). In 2019, at the All-Russian Open Festival of Poetry and Art “ART-POETRY “Poetry on Canvas and in Words”, in the category “Decorative Painting” Ulyana took 1st prize (Moscow), and at the International Exhibition of Animal Art “Portrait of an Animal” in Moscow, in the category “Decoration: animalistic art in decorative and applied arts. Wild Animals and Birds” her oeuvres were awarded the 3rd place. In 2020, at the International Exhibition of Animal Art “Portrait of an Animal”, “Decoration: Animal Art in Decorative and Applied Arts, Category: Pets – Dogs”, the paintings of the artist from Yevpatoriya received the 2nd prize in St. Petersburg. Painting on feathers by Ulyana Roshchupkina was demonstrated in Volgograd, Dagestan, Simferopol and many other cities in Russia, [1; 4].

The subjects of Ulyana’s pictures are quite diverse: from depicting animals to expressing human feelings and moods. In her works, both a gallery of female images and paintings in the Chinese style, which depicts birds on flowering trees, can be seen. It is necessary to remember the complexity of the technique itself: if the hand trembles a little, the pen can be damaged. Thus, the highest concentration of attention and focus on movement is required. Each feather fibre must be coloured to blend harmoniously with the next one. The images created by U. Roshchupkina have an individual character. For example, animals of the cat family (Figure 1, 2):

In Figure 1, the viewer is presented with an image of the head of a predator, whose attentive gaze, however, does not express aggression. Realistic eyes simply watch, demonstrating regal grace. Figure 2 shows us a small snow leopard, painted in full length, probably going to his mother, so his eyes express tenderness, conveying this feeling to the viewer. The colour scheme is less bright, which also carries a mood of calm.

A playful Australian bear cub, frozen on a branch, evokes a smile and tenderness, and the horse’s head arouses thoughtful sadness. As is known, the artist’s mood comes to life in images that transmit it to the viewer, evoking reciprocal feelings [2]. Of course, it is impossible to do without images of birds when creating masterpieces on feathers. And here “a bird on bird feathers” appears before the viewer, as Ulyana notes herself [3]. The lightness of the pen is consonant with the lightness of the picture plot. So, in Figure 3, the compositional dynamics are presented on the piece of art an owl is cleaning its feathers (bird feathers are rather small surfaces for a plot, which is where the whole difficulty of conveying movement lies). The slowness and calmness of the bird are emphasized by skillfully drawn eyes and a tilt of the head. We see a completely different perspective in the painting “Titmouse” (Figure 4). The view from above allows the viewer to imagine a close position to the bird, as if being next to it, even though a tit is on a branch, to examine its feathers, and even to catch the turn of its head. Images of birds on feathers evoke a special emotional thrill: the bird gives a part of itself to the artist for the rebirth of another bird, and this is a manifestation of the spiritual plane, which is characteristic only of art.

As a result of the research conducted by the author of the article, it can be concluded that there are unique works of art in modern Russian culture, which are popular and rooted in centuries, created by a talented artist from the Republic of Crimea Ulyana Roshchupkina, whom can proudly be called a prominent representative of world painting on feathers.

References:

1. Efremova S. Chudo… v per’yah [Miracle... in feathers]. Crimean news. – 01.02.2016. – Retrived from: https://new.crimiz.ru/rubriki/100-kultura-iskusstvo-obrazovanie-nauka/499-chudo-v-peryakh (accessed date: 05.06.2024) [in Russian].
2. Lebedeva N.A. Zhivopis' na per'yah: osobennosti tvorchestva Ul'yany Roshchupkinoj [Arts on feathers; features of Ulyana Roshchupkina painting]. Nauchnyj forum: Filologiya, iskusstvovedenie i kul'turologiya: sb. st. po materialam LXXXII mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. – № 6(82). –Moscow, Izd. «MCNO», 2024. – Pp.19–29.
3. Roshchupkina Ulyana – Retrived from: https://vk.com/club50254164 (accessed date: 07.06.2024) [in Russian].
4. Hudozhnica iz Evpatorii poluchila pervuyu premiyu za risunki na per'yah ptic. Krymchanku priglasili na Nedelyu iskusstv na Kipre za risunki na per'yah [An artist from Yevpatoria received the first prize for drawings on bird feathers. A Crimean woman was invited to the Arts Week in Cyprus for her drawings on feathers] – Retrived from: https://crimea.mk.ru/articles/2016/08/01/khudozhnica-iz-evpatorii-poluchila-pervuyu-premiyu-za-risunki-na-peryakh-ptic.html (accessed date: 05.06.2024) [in Russian].