Arabesque

by Natalia Romanova

The West of Arab world is usually called as Magrib, in contrast of its eastern part, called as Mashrique. Different culturies changed one another in Magrib during centuries. The magribian is enigmatical person not only for europians, but also for mashriquians. Do you remember fairytales Thousand and one night ?

Political relations of East and West were often noncomplimentery. From their childhood many generaitions remember Carthago est delenda. Culture and art are absolutly another spheres. Meanwhile, talking about East-West, more often we quote Kipling, then Goethe.

Since the times of Romanticism European culture, particularly french. never forget about Magrib. Artists of our country traditionally were tearing towards Mashrique and almost ignored nothem Africa in joumies and artistic interpretations.

One of the first, who turned to Magrib in her art, was Natalia Zozulya, artist from Kyiv. She is the member of Ukr. National Art Union. She is also teaching at National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. A few years ago she spent some months in Libya. After journey series of sketches and picturies was created, called ‘Arabesques’. This time part of it is on show in Museum of Cultural Heritage.

Natalia Zozulya is painting what she had seen. Her compositions are decorative. At the same time the artist shows her artistic cuisine – sketches, made from nature, very often she is painting women, because they sit for portraits gladly. Arab women frail and graceful. Artist from Kyiv shows us sunlight, smells of exotic dishes, original vegetation of Northern Africa.

20.09.2000 – 15.12.2000 

(c) 2000. The Museum of Cultural Heritage, Kyiv, Ukraine.

http://mirror01.iptelecom.net.ua/~museum/exhibition_E_3.html