Lane Gallery London is delighted to present ‘The Garden of Nothing’, a solo exhibition by Ukrainian art photographer Vasylyna Vrublevska. The show comprises of the artist’s most recent body of work from 2022-2023. Despite the abstract nature of the photographs, ‘The Garden of Nothing’ is a documentary project that demonstrates Vasylyna’s unique artistic vision and approach to photography. The series reflects both the artist’s personal experiences and the collective experiences of Ukrainians witnessing the war unfold on their land.
The title of the series ‘The Garden of Nothing’, is derived from the biblical legend of the expulsion from Paradise. Vasylyna Vrublevska poses the question how it feels to witness the destruction of one’s personal paradise from the inside. The artist invites us to witness the fragile garden of nothing and learn to appreciate its refined aesthetic quality. Abstract compositions are juxtaposed with some of the artist’s monochrome figurative works, which were taken from a reportage on the Ukrainian bomb disposal unit on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Vasylyna Vrublevska’s artistic career spans over 15 years, encompassing works in the genres of fashion photography, portraiture, and reportage. She experiments with the medium of photography, examining its documentary nature from different perspectives, offering an entry point for the viewer to create their individual narratives. Vasylyna refrains from working mechanically to a preconceived plan, instead chooses to manipulate the photographic film, intentionally overexposing it in her camera. This deliberate over-exposure and chemical interaction with photographic film produces abstract landscapes of rich colour palettes and optical textured surfaces. This shift in execution effectively transforms the mediation of the work. Beyond their strong visual impact, these photographs testify Vasylyna’s ability to skilfully employ the materiality of film.
‘The Garden of Nothing’ marks Vasylyna Vrublevska’s first solo exhibition outside of Ukraine. However, the artworks from her recent series have appeared in group exhibitions in Lisbon, Paris and Vienna: ‘The Art on the Battlefield’ in Künstlerhaus Vienna April 2023. Vasylyna Vrublevska is one of the leading photographers at Vogue Ukraine, alongside publications in Rolling Stones, Forbes. The cover of the recent Vogue UA’s first printed edition since the beginning of the war features the artwork by Vasylyna Vrublevska - ‘Ukrainian Landscape I’, 2023. The artist also contributed to Volume One of ‘Living the War’, a sensitive account told through the lens of personal stories of the residents of Kyiv, Ukraine during the unprecedented experience of the war. In looking at her work, we are reminded of the vulnerable and transient yet visceral feel of existence.
