Sonya Hukaylo

I've always been fascinated by illustration and its ability to merge visuals with storytelling. Over the years, I have explored ways to combine images and text, experimenting with oil painting to develop a style that unifies both mediums.
My cross-cultural interests have greatly inspired my practice. I draw from Latin American retablo, a tradition rooted in Spanish religious painting, later transformed into a popular art form addressing everyday experiences of gratitude, healing, and protection. I found this form particularly meaningful for expressing my own observations, anxieties, and moments of joy.
Another distinctive element in my work is the integration of text. I’ve created a unique typographic style inspired by skoropys, an 18th-century Ukrainian calligraphic tradition. Combining this script with my visual narratives allows me to transform personal stories into universal messages.
Combining cultural traditions and personal experience, I aim to create art that resonates emotionally and inspires viewers to contemplate.

1997-2003
National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture, Kyiv, Ukraine
Bachelor and Master in Graphic Book Illustration, Department of Visual Arts and Crafts
Workshop of Professor V.Y. Chebanyk

1989-1996
Shevchenko State Art School, Kyiv, Ukraine
Department of Painting

Solo Exhibitions
2024
• "Образки вдячності/Retablos", Contemporary Art Gallery Triptych Art, Kyiv, Ukraine
• "Two Years", Vitemölla Badhotel, Vitemölla, Sweden
2023
• "In Progress" (Paintings, Graphics), Vitemölla Badhotel, Vitemölla, Sweden
• "One Year" (Paintings), Vitemölla Badhotel, Vitemölla, Sweden
2022
• "Spring/Summer/War" (Paintings), Vitemölla Badhotel, Vitemölla, Sweden
• "Easter" (Paintings, Graphics), Vitemölla Badhotel, Vitemölla, Sweden
2019
• "cPOSTERеження №1" (Graphics), HUDGRAf Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
Group Exhibitions
2024
• "Vårtid", Vitemölla Badhotel, Vitemölla, Sweden
2023
• "Vintersalong", Kiviks Konsthall, Kivik, Sweden
• "Through the Feminine Eye: A Never-Ending Touch", Konstnärsklubben i Konstnärshuset, Stockholm, Sweden
2022
• "I Have a Crisis for You" (Painting), Lane Hall Gallery, University of Michigan
2021
• "Animal Gods" (Paintings), Imagine Point Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
• The International Book Arsenal Festival (Graphics), Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine
• "Popcorn" (Painting), Imagine Point Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
• "ARTBOOK" (Artbook), Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
2019
• IV All-Ukrainian Triennial of Book Graphics, National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
2013...