BIOGRAPHY
OF
IRINA KOLESNIKOVA  

IRINA KOLESNIKOVA

 
Born in 1975 in Odesa, Ukraine

I received advanced professional art training at a classical school specializing in drawing, painting, and academic composition, culminating in a master's degree.
This provided me with a solid foundation: a deep understanding of form, color, line, composition, and space—the essential tools that taught me to see, feel, and express everything on the canvas.
Over time, this technical knowledge became the basis for the development of my own style.
I am drawn to symbolism, subtle emotional states, and color as a means of expressing not only form but also the inner world.
My style is a fusion of observation and symbolism.
Flowers, female figures, lines, structure, and natural motifs: I perceive all of these as signs, as a language that transcends words.
Welcome to my world of symbolism.
Education:
1987–1992 – M.B. Grekov Odesa Art School. The school actively participated in various exhibitions and competitions.
1993–1998 – K.D. Ushinsky Odesa Pedagogical University, Faculty of Graphic Arts.
Creative Activity: Since 2000, Irina Kolesnikova has been actively engaged in artistic creation, participating in regional, national, and international student and professional art exhibitions.

Selected Exhibitions:

2002 – Ukrainian Exhibition “Malevich’s Ukraine,” Kyiv.
2003 – Ukrainian Independence Day Exhibition.
2003 – “Flowers on Canvas” Exhibition at the Taras Shevchenko Museum.
2005 – Ukrainian Exhibition “Spirituality in Contemporary Art,” Gallery of the National Shrine of Saint Sophia, Kyiv.
2005 – Ukrainian Artist's Day Exhibition.
2006 – Ukrainian Christmas Exhibition at the Central House of Artists, Kyiv.
2007 – "Kviti" Exhibition at the Lemish Gallery, Lviv.
2008 – Exhibition in Odesa, Salieri Art Café, "Stained Glass Motifs".
2008 – Ukrainian Artist's Day Exhibition, Kyiv.
2009 – Participant in the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Open-Air Art Festival.
2010 – Exhibition in Odesa, Salieri Art Café, "Floral Atmosphere".
2012–2013 – Master's Degree, Faculty of Art and Graphics, Odesa Pedagogical University.

Thesis:
"The Element as an Organizational and Structural Component in Easel Painting: The Example of the Female Portrait". Directed by professors and PhDs in artistic sciences, including Honored Artists of Ukraine.
2013 – Exhibition “Emergency Movement,” Victory Gardens Art Gallery, Odesa.
2013 – Participant in the National Exhibition “Green Wave.”
2014 – Exhibition-Competition “Ukrainian Language. Ukrainian Panels,” Kyiv.
2020 – Exhibition of Ukrainian Artists, Madrid, Spain.
2023 – Exhibition of Ukrainian Artists, Madrid, Spain.
May 24, 2023 – CCCC (Carmen Center for Contemporary Culture), Valencia.
I participated in an event dedicated to the theme of war and Pablo Picasso’s painting “Guernica” (1937). Eighty-six years after its creation, the symbolism of this work remains profoundly relevant, reflecting the pain and destruction that war brings. Today, the theme of war resonates once again in our reality.
My participation was possible precisely because the tragedy of the past echoes in the present.
In my presentation, I shared my own vision and interpretation of the painting. For me, "Guernica" is not only a reminder of suffering and devastation, but also proof that art can speak across decades, connecting different generations and countries through shared emotion and reflection.
December 10, 2024 — Solo Exhibition "Harmony of Chaos," Alejandra Istorik Gallery, Historic Center of Valencia
"Harmony of Chaos" is an exhibition dedicated to exploring the interplay between order and disorder. In my works, I seek to capture the fragile balance between structure and spontaneity, showing how they coexist in the same space.
Each piece invites the viewer to reflect on the nature of harmony and chaos in everyday life, on their interconnection and mutual influence. This exhibition underscores that both harmony and chaos are inseparable aspects of the human experience, each with its own unique beauty and meaning.
January 16, 2025 — Solo exhibition “Harmony of Chaos,” Valencia Airport Exhibition Hall (by invitation of the airport administration).
May 6, 2025 — Solo exhibition “Harmony of Chaos,” Port Gallery, Historic Center of Barcelona.