Burenko
Burenko (b. Bohdan Burenko, 1987) works in a visual style uniquely his own dubbed “sick-pop.” Through portraits and landscapes, he draws viewers in with a warped and unorthodox sense of perspective.
The artist’s landscapes are defined by flat subjects in neutral color palettes which play light and shadow in a twisted homage to 19th century impressionists. The almost sterile cleanliness caused by the flatness of the compositions juxtaposes with the roughness of visible brush strokes and the nature of the subjects, which are informed by Burenko’s daily life in his Kyiv studio, where he has stayed in the city center since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion.
Three new paintings by Burenko are on display, expanding on his exploration of the flat landscape. There is a somber solitude to his work, granted by a muted palette and a lack of human figuration. The work reads both as a utopic vision of a landscape free of conflict and as a representation of abandoned land in the aftermath of war.
Burenko’s work has been shown throughout Ukraine and in recent group exhibitions in the United States, including Los Angeles and New York with Sonya Gallery. He lives and works in Kyiv.
Full Black River, 2023. Acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame.
55 x 42 in (140 x 105 cm).
Shores IV, 2023. Acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame. 39.5 x 31.5 in (100 x 80 cm).
Shores V, 2023. Acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame. 39.5 x 31.5 in (100 x 80 cm).
Full Black River, 2023. Acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame. 55 x 42 in (140 x 105 cm).