The exhibition displays the artist’s early works of the late 1970s, made while studying at the Belarusian State Theater and Art Institute, and works of recent years. The exhibition includes the artist’s chamber portraiture, and meets his creative aspirations. While working on his diploma picture ‘The Time of Summer Birds’ in 1980, Juryj Piskun tried to ‘paint only what he knows well and loves’, his village Ratucičy, its inhabitants, his relatives and close friends. Looking carefully into the faces of his models (the artist painted from life), he aspired to reveal the inner world of human, people’s thoughts and troubles.
The artistic creed of Juryj Piskun is based on the human connection with the family, close friends and the land. The world of the family, warm feelings and mutual understanding between relatives are perceived by the artist as an inseparable part of the Universe, today and the past. Sometimes the artist depicts his daughters and himself in historical costumes (‘Zosia in an Old-Fashioned Costume’, ‘Volha’ and ‘Guests’). The artist personally designed these stage costumes. Juryj Piskun is known as an expert of Belarusian folk and historical costumes. He designed costumes for such well-known Belarusian bands as the Piesniary, the State Academic Folk Choir of Belarus and the Kharoshki Choreographic Ensemble. The creative aspirations of Juryj Piskun (costume designer, painter, teacher, researcher of the ancient Belarusian art) are special with a width of views in different fields of art and culture.
