Yuriy Skandakov

Yuriy Skandakov (1932–2007) was a Ukrainian artist who worked in easel painting, graphics, decorative and applied art, and theatre decoration. The artist's creativity is a kind of improvisation; he created smoothly, was not afraid to experiment, and looked for inner expression in his characters. The artist used color freely, looked for attractive formal solutions and unusual poses, combined decorativeness with sensuality, and created powerful psychological images. During his lifetime, Yuriy Skandakov participated in more than 100 exhibitions, including those in Armenia (1971), Poland (1980), Spain (1981), and Hungary (1983). In 1984, he had a personal exhibition in Lviv. Exhibitions in memory of the artist were held in 2018 - «Soul of Lviv» in the art salon «Veles» and in 2020 – "Return of the Phenomenon" in the "Chocolate House" of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery" in Kyiv.

"Political", 1970 – a reflection of the dissident movement of the 1960s. In the center of the composition, we see a man cornered, confined by the narrow confines of a prison cell. Despite everything, he does not give up and refuses food as a sign of his opposition. Emphasis is placed on his inner freedom, the struggle for personal rights. The man is depicted in an open pose, and his face is directed upwards – towards a single ray of light, which is involuntarily associated with such desired freedom.