Vasyl Yarych, Oleksandr Diachenko, Oleksandr Babak
12 June – 19 July 2026
ChervoneChorne
Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv
20 Svobody Avenue
The exhibition unfolds around the notion of “here” as a marker of place, presence, and a mode of being. The sculptures of Vasyl Yarych and Oleksandr Diachenko, together with the paintings of Oleksandr Babak, are united by a shared exploration of corporeality and the human presence upon the earth. The human body emerges as the primordial “here” — the point of departure from which we perceive space, time, and ourselves.
At the same time, “here” is also a profound philosophical concept. Where exactly “here” is? How can it be precisely defined when the boundary between “here” and “there” is constantly shifting, dissolving into the manifold otherness of countless different “heres”?
“Here” may be a body, a place, a gaze, a state of consciousness, or a moment of presence.
The exhibition brings together works by three distinguished artists whose creative practices span more than four decades, from 1984 to 2026. The presentation includes twelve sculptural works by Vasyl Yarych, seven sculptures by Oleksandr Diachenko, and more than ten large-scale paintings by Oleksandr Babak, including landmark pieces from the iconic series Grisaille, By the River, and Clouds.
This exhibition offers an opportunity to trace the evolution of artistic inquiry pursued by these authors over decades as they developed singular artistic worlds, balancing profound philosophical reflection with the mastery of sculptural form and a distinctive painterly language.
A special place within the exhibition is reserved for works being presented to the public for the first time: Vasyl Yarych’s sculptural composition Adam and Eve (plaster, 2026), Oleksandr Diachenko’s sculpture Pyramid (bronze, 2025–2026), and Oleksandr Babak’s painting Legs (acrylic on canvas, 2026). Додати про бронзу
Sculptor. Born on 29 September 1951 in the village of Velyka Turya, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukraine. He graduated from the Lviv State Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts in 1979 (now the Lviv National Academy of Arts). Working in both easel and monumental sculpture, he employs bronze, stone, wood, and terracotta. In 1993, he became the first artist to represent Ukraine at the International Sculpture Symposium in Launstroff, France. He is the author of the memorial complex To the Fighters for the Freedom of Ukraine (Stryi, 2005), monuments to King Danylo (Lviv, 2001) and the Prosvita Society (Lviv, 1993), as well as more than six hundred sculptural works.
Sculptor. Born on 10 January 1956 in Kyiv into the family of artists Valentyna and Illia Diachenko. He graduated from the Lviv State Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts in 1979, where he studied in the studio of Emanuel Mysko. During his years in Lviv he was also influenced by the sculptor Miniona Flit. He works primarily with stone, ceramics, and bronze. Among his best-known monumental works are the monument to Blessed Omelian Kovch on the grounds of the former Majdanek concentration camp (Lublin, Poland, 2021), the Holocaust Memorial (Melitopol, 2020), the memorial composition to Mykola Amosov (with Petro Antyp and Kostiantyn Chudovskyi, Kyiv, 2003), and the fountain in the ceremonial hall of the National Bank of Ukraine (Kyiv, 1995). Since 2011 he has been a member of the ChervoneChorne artistic association and served as chief curator of the Kaniv International Sculpture Symposium (2011–2021). His works can also be seen in Stryiskyi Park in Lviv.
Painter. Born on 6 June 1957 in Kyiv into the family of artists Faina and Petro Babak. He graduated from the Taras Shevchenko Republican Art School in 1974 (now the Taras Shevchenko State Art Lyceum of Kyiv) and the Kyiv State Art Institute in 1984 (now the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture), where he studied monumental painting. He was a student of Mykola Storozhenko and Vilen Chekaniuk. A leading figure of the New Ukrainian Wave, he was a member of the influential art group The Painting Reserve (1991–1995) and has belonged to the ChervoneChorne artistic association since 2011.
Among his notable monumental projects are the first fully integrated artistic design of Osokorky Metro Station (architect Anatolii Krushynskyi; in collaboration with monumental artist Oleksandr Borodai; Kyiv, 1992) and the comprehensive artistic design of Vydubychi Metro Station (architect Tamara Tselikovska; with Oleksandr Borodai; Kyiv, 1991). He lives and works in Kyiv and in the village of Velykyi Pereviz in the Poltava region.
The exhibition features works from his iconic series Clouds (2010), Grisaille (2011), and By the River (2019).
12 June 2026, 4:00 PM
Admission is free on the opening day.
Vasyl Yarych, Oleksandr Diachenko, Oleksandr Babak
12 June – 19 July 2026
ChervoneChorne
Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv
20 Svobody Avenue
Opening Hours
Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Museum ticket office closes at 5:30 PM
Exhibition Curators
Karina Lazaruk & ChervoneChorne Artistic Association
Instagram: @chervone_chorne
Website: https://www.chervonechorne.com/
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Visual Identity and Design
3Z Studio
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