Victor Gontarov, Venus Terrestial
A stand has been made available at the Fair, at the request of long-term exhibitor, art dealer John Barkes, for ART FUND UK-UKR, a fundraising initiative helping to support Ukrainian Artists and their families. John Barkes has spent the last seven years travelling to Ukraine (and for 20 years before that St. Petersburg), collecting works direct from artists to sell here in the UK.
Andrey Gladkiy, Figure
John explains about ART FUND UK-UKR:
Vladimir introduced himself to me at a Decorative Fair in Battersea a few years ago. He had trained as an artist at the Repin Academy in Leningrad, and was intrigued to see paintings by his teachers and professors displayed on my stand. Now an architect based in Chelsea, he continues to be fascinated by artists and their work, and is a committed and knowledgeable collector.
Victor Gontarov, April Day
Mr Tchaly has made the decision to donate his collection of Ukrainian art to be sold for the benefit of artists seeking refuge in Europe. It is a privilege to be asked to help and participate. Artists need money to live and money to be able to work; studio space and artists’ materials are expensive and difficult to find. These talented people are well capable of being self-sufficient once they are established, but they need help now.
We are profoundly grateful to the organisers of the Decorative Fair for giving us the opportunity to launch Art Fund UK~UKR.
Discover ART FUND UK-UKR on Stand A28 and up on the Mezzanine, and John Barkes on Stand E15.
