National Art Museum of the Rubublic of Belarus

Artist and Time

“An artist depicts time in his work”. That is a widespread phrase from the lexicon of art criticism. It is also said about Leanid Shchamyalyou, People’s Artist of Belarus. The exhibition discloses the meaning of these words as they are understood by the master. The artist offers an extensive retrospection of paintings and graphic works for his 85^th anniversary – about 120 canvases and drawings of 1956–2008. The exhibition is unique due to the fact, that graphic works are well represented and the majority of the displayed works is artist’s property and is usually inaccessible for the general public. That is the difference between the present exhibition and the last year’s one.

It is the largest show in the history of numerous Shchamyalyou’s exhibitions. The chosen exhibits cover all periods of the master’s art biography, depicting his life from the earliest works of 1959 (when Leanid Shchamyalyou was among the first graduates of the Painting Department at the Belarusian Art Institute) till the recent art experiments. His degree work “Wedding” (1959), acquired by special arrangement of Yelena Aladova for the State Art Museum of the BSSR, and the picture “My Family” from the funds of the Magilyou Oblast Pavel Maslenikau Art Museum are also displayed at the exhibition.

The artist studied under the famous landscape painter Vital’ Tsvirka (his portrait is on the show). Leanid Shchamyalyou represents that generation of artists who came after the painters of classical trend, graduates of Moscow and Leningrad Academies. The generation, that apprehended the grand canon heritage from its direct bearers, but gave it up to find new art language. Time of political and social changes, including so-called Khrushchev Thaw is the time of Shchamyalyou’s youth. It’s a governing period in his work. Selection of the master’s earliest pictures gives an idea how the painter was looking for his own stile, colouring, art theme spectrum, to which the artist is true till now. The exhibition gives an opportunity to compare the earliest works with “Evening Bouquet” (2007) for example, one of the latest most successful acquisitions of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus.

Heavy time, heavy burden… During the World War II Shchamyalyou soldiered in cavalry units of the Red Army. Dramatic events at crucial points of history take an important place in his creative work. Heroic pathos of his teachers in the field of historical picture acquired lyric character in Shchamyalyou’s pictures. He depicts time through an individual feeling of himself and his characters, emphasising emotional and psychological state. Shchamyalyou is the first in the Belarusian art, whose pictures tell us about the war not in solemn tones of famous newscaster Levitan, but with constrained tears in the voice as a fellow traveller or a neighbour.

Artist and time. Wide and spontaneous painting manner of Leanid Shchamyalyou allows to compare his work with a battle. Reflecting the time in his pictures the artist repulses the attack of time. Step by step with every stroke of his brush he traps the time. This is victory over time. While we are absorbed in the world of such pictures, in the artist’s world, we can also gain victory over time.

Tatiana Bembel – art critic, director of the Leanid Shchamyalyou Municipal Art Gallery

LEANID SHCHAMYALYOU

Honoured Art Worker of the BSSR (1977)

People’s Artist of the BSSR (1983)

He was born on February 5, 1923 in Vitebsk.

World War II veteran was badly wounded near Mazyr.

Studied at the Minsk Art School (1947–1952) under Leu Leitman, at the Painting Department of the Belarusian State Theatre and art Institute (1953–1959) under Vital’ Tsvirka.

Took part at art exhibitions since 1958. His personal exhibitions are annual since 1962. International exhibitions took place in Australia, Germany, the USA, Israel, Spain, Italy, Canada, Finland, France.

He taught art at the Minsk Art School (1959–1964), at the Republican Music and Fine Arts Boarding School (1966–1974), at Architectural Department of the Belarusian State University (1975).

Since 1964 he is a member of the Artists Union of the BSSR.

In 1993 the artist was awarded Frantsysk Skaryna Medal for an outstanding contribution to the development of Belarusian fine arts, Medal “Morality and Creativity” of the public association “Belarusian Academy of Fine Arts”.

In 2003 the Municipal Art Gallery of Leanid Shchamyalyou’s works was founded in Minsk. 60 works of art were donated to the gallery by the author.

His works are in the collections of the National Art Museum of the republic of Belarus, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Modern Fine Arts Museum in Minsk, the Magilyou Oblast Pavel Maslenikau Art Museum, Belarusian Artists Union, Ministry of Culture of Russia and in private collections in Belarus, Baltic states, Germany, the USA, Israel, Iraq, Spain, Italy, Canada, Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine.