Alexandr Onishenko: The Secret of the Black Canvas

Join us as we host Artist Alexandr Onishenko for a One Man Art Show. Originally from Ukraine, Onishenko works out of the Czech Republic and will be in attendance for this opening reception as we unveil new work. You’re invited to attend and discover this collection, this is the third year in a row we’ve scheduled a show of new work for the artist, the last two had to be canceled due to Covid-19, so we are extremely excited!

Originally from the Ukraine and now one of the most successful artists in the Czech Republic, Alexander Onishenko arrived in Prague in 1991 carrying little more than his painting equipment and a dream. He began painting on Prague’s famous Charles Bridge.  Less than a year after undertaking this rite of passage his work was quickly recognized by the art community and he was offered exhibitions not just in the Czech Republic but also in Germany, France, Spain, England, and the United States.

Onishenko works within his signature New Impressionism technique that’s distinguished by exclusive use of the palette knife and painting on a black canvas. This reversal of the painting process – moving from darkness to light – brings with it the high level of contrast and vibrancy of color for which the artist’s paintings are known.   This iconic backdrop adds a profound intensity as it plays against his bold, sometimes moody color pallet and makes his work easily recognizable as a true Onishenko.

With previous shows in Bulgaria, Germany, Andorra, the Czech Republic, Russia, USA, France, Hungary, UK, Sweden, India, and Malaysia, his work is truly without borders, transcending culture; it epitomizes the essence of his origins as an immigrant on the Charles Bridge, interacting with tourists from all over the world of varying social strata. His body of work is unified by its intensity, through his technique – his masterful treatment of light, the juxtaposition of it with heavy impasto forms conveying drama and power to what otherwise might be an ordinary scene in less painterly hands.  From fields of yellow to skies offset in deep or light blues, his color palette is as varied as the scenes existing in life.

The Czech artist explores a vast array of subject matters, including busy cityscapes, compelling portraits, and picturesque landscapes. “I seek inspiration from what I see and what I’m experiencing at the moment,” he explains.