November 11 – December 26, 2025
We are pleased to invite you to the exhibition of sketches and drawings by Viktor Zaretsky — the artist’s most intimate works.
In 2025, Ukraine marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Viktor Zaretskyi — one of the brightest figures of the Ukrainian Sixtiers movement. Throughout the year, exhibitions, educational events, and public discussions across the country build a bridge between historical memory and contemporary artistic practices.
The exhibition at the Lviv Municipal Art Center focuses on sketches from the artist’s family collection, revealing the painter’s creative “workbench”: the process of thinking, refining form, and moving from observation to image — from seedling to ripe fruit.
The show presents over 80 photographs and works from various periods. It is a laboratory of sketches that reveals Zaretsky as a person — in his concentration, doubt, and vulnerability.
Meanwhile, a parallel exhibition in Kyiv showcases the artist’s paintings — vivid and panoramic. In dialogue with it, the Lviv exhibition appears more intimate and contemplative. Together, they offer a multidimensional view of Zaretskyi’s legacy and the artistic processes of the 1960s.
A public program accompanying the exhibition will include discussions, lectures, and guided curatorial tours:
November 12 – Public discussion “In Zaretsky’s Garden”
November 13 – Curatorial tour by Olena Zaretska
November 29 – Lecture by artist and art historian Mykhailo Skop
December 6 – Lecture by historian and cultural scholar Radomyr Mokryk
December 20–21 — Christmas linocut workshop
February 2026 — Drink & Draw inspired by Zaretsky’s birthday and themes from his works
Event details to be announced soon.
About the Artist
Viktor Zaretsky was a prominent representative of the Ukrainian Sixtiers movement — an artist and educator whose creative path was marked by deep artistic experimentation. He founded the direction known as Ukrainian Neo-Secession, which harmoniously blends national artistic traditions with the refined aesthetics of European Art Nouveau.
His artistic expeditions across Ukraine resulted in the “Miner” and “Peasant” series — works rich in symbolism, dignity, and depictions of authentic Ukrainian life. Zaretsky’s style is a synthesis of decorative rhythm, lyrical expressiveness, and a profound connection to Ukrainian cultural heritage.
As a teacher, he founded a private drawing school in the late 1970s, where he developed his own method, “Reflections at the Canvas.” His students consistently gained admission to higher art institutions.
The tragic loss of his wife brought a period of deep emotional struggle. Yet the artist showed great resilience and unwavering devotion to his craft, describing his life as “a struggle between breaking down and becoming an artist.” He often said that what matters most in art is the frenzy of emotion and passion, regardless of the style of expression.
Curator: Leonid Marushchak
Co-curators: Olena Zaretska, Lyana Mytsko
Project initiated by: Fund of Alla Horska & Viktor Zaretskyi
Project partners: ЗМІN Foundation, Liniya Vtechi
The project is implemented with the support of the ZMIN Foundation.