Oleg Minko

Oleh Minko (1938–2013) was a Ukrainian nonconformist artist and a representative of "hermetic" art. He created images with dual meanings, using the symbolism of objects and human gestures to convey the theme of his work. The stylistics of his paintings reveal the influence of ancient Ukrainian iconography as well as European modernists such as Picasso, Braque, and de Chirico.

Minko's works are housed in national museums of Ukraine and in private collections both in Ukraine and abroad. The artist held solo exhibitions in London, Helsinki, Brussels, Copenhagen, Washington, and Vilnius.

The painting "Battle of the Centaurs" (1997) transports the viewer into the world of mythology, where the struggle takes on a universal symbolic meaning. The composition is filled with the energy of movement, the intertwining of figures, and the contrasting combination of colors, enhancing the dramatic intensity of the scene. The artist conveys not only a physical struggle but also a spiritual conflict—a clash of forces that extends beyond a specific plot and acquires a metaphorical significance.

The late 1990s in Minko's work marked a period of deep philosophical generalizations, focusing on themes of confrontation and harmony. His works from this time exhibit a synthesis of decorativeness and expression, where mythological images serve as a means of conveying the eternal themes of human existence.