Born in Scotland, raised in Australia and educated in Belgium, the life of Michael Murphenko (neé Murphy) has been punctuated by moments of movement and displacement. Now finally settled in Ukraine where his artistic talents and love for the country have seen him warmly welcomed, he continues to paint and illustrate in Ukraine and further a field. Most recently his exhibition Hilism was shown in New York at the Ukrainian institute of America.

Expressing a vitality in colour and form, the artist's work is celebrated for its openess and honesty and its daring willingness to lay bare the torment, struggle and euphoria of art and life.

 “The paintings of Murphenko are uncomfortable. As uncomfortable as when a once familiar acquaintance unexpectedly makes a gesture of sincerity. We feel lost and, deep in our soul, frightened by this gesture of openness to the world.  We fear that, possibly, we too will have to take off the armor of coarseness.”

Lubko Deresh, writer, Lviv, Ukraine

“The originality of Michael's art style is precisely the consequence of his openness. The sincerity in the paintings speaks and is felt without external manifestos. And the simplest of images – a woman with a child, lovers, flowers, – is always directed towards the internal experience of the event or the moment, rather than towards the symbol of visualization.”

Kostyantyn Doroshenko, art critic, curator, Kyiv, Ukraine

 

 

Open Forthcoming - The Arts Club, London Mayfair, November 2007

Hilism Ukrainian Institute of America, New York, USA 2007

The Other Sun Gallery, Kyiv 2006

Do you remember love? L-Artt Gallery, Kyiv 2004

Talking in Black Museum of Ukrainian Heritage, Kyiv 2002