Let's explore together the vibrant world of Yaroslav Leonets, a contemporary artist hailing from Ukraine. Yaroslav's journey showcases a unique blend of his upbringing, heritage, and quest for self-expression. Through his introspective work, he invites us to take a glimpse of the depths of the human experience and acknowledge the rich landscape of life itself.

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How has your upbringing and cultural background influenced your artistic journey and creative expression?

I was born in the Western part of Ukraine, and, of course, it greatly influenced my future creative practice. In those wonderful regions where I grew up, a certain connection of people with nature is especially felt, as well as a special local culture is present, which influenced me in the early stages of my creative development in childhood.

Can you recall a pivotal moment or experience in your early life that ignited your passion for art? At what point in your life did you firmly decide to pursue art, and what were the pivotal factors in making that decision?

When I was a child I lived in the countryside for a while. I didn't have many toys to play with, but I had access to natural materials such as wood, clay, stone, iron, and more. I often made myself toys from these materials, for example, ships, which I then launched on the river that was nearby. From time to time even some small sculptures in the form of animals, or some strange things. This is probably the first thing that interested my childhood imagination to create something unique or creative.

 

For me, the key moment was probably when I was in preschool. I was always interested in doing something with my hands and inventing some new things. At the time, I didn't realize that I was actually doing art. And then, at school age, I finally became interested in creating paintings and graphics, and this was essentially the decisive moment when I fully wanted to become an artist and work and develop in this field. Of course, there were a number of factors that influenced my decision. First of all, it is growing up and understanding one's place in this life. Another very important factor is the people and teachers with whom I communicated and who influenced me.

Discuss the balance between innate creativity and the skills honed through education and practice.

I believe that every person is creative inside, that is, they have certain innate needs to create something. In some, it is expressed more strongly, in others it is weaker. But of course, in order to create something at a high level, as a professional you need to study and creative practice is very important. If there is an opportunity to study at art universities, it is great, but of course, a lot depends on the teachers, the team and one's own desire to work hard. If you don't have this opportunity, you need to learn from other people, for example at plein airs or residencies, where you work in parallel with other artists and can learn a lot about their practice. 

Share your thoughts on pursuing a creative career, despite potential risks, versus more conventional career paths.

Being an artist is difficult because you always need to find a balance between what you create and the opportunity to present it to the audience and possibly realise it. It's hard to just create because you have to be able to do it. It is also not correct to simply do work that is oriented only to the customer. I believe that an artist should create his own works that are not customer-oriented and find the best form of expression of his ideas. Selling works is a secondary phenomenon, which is very important, but it is not in the first place. Because of this, there are many risks involved only in creative activities. Not every person is ready to sacrifice their time and be ready for an unstable life.

Why art, among all other mediums of expression? With the benefit of hindsight, would you choose a different career path? Why or why not?

I wouldn't want to change anything. Art is one of the most important means of expression that exists. In general, I cannot imagine my life without art, for me, it is just a way of life, not a profession. I wouldn't want any other life, only possible creative growth and more opportunities to create art projects.

Discuss your strategies for staying motivated and continually finding inspiration in your artistic practice and describe your quest for uniqueness. How do you distinguish your work from others?

Motivation is very important in any business. I thank God that I have had enough of it. In order not to lose motivation, I constantly work and look for new ways of discovery and creativity. I often change my activity, from sketches to sculpture, from painting to writing poems.

 

In my opinion, each person is unique in their preferences, character, hobbies and content. You need to realize that you don't need to look for your own style or originality. We are original by nature! You need to find out who you really are, what interests you and where you want to go in life.

Do you believe that your passion for art was predestined, or was it a choice you consciously made? Can you share experiences that led you to this belief?

At some point in my life, I realized that every human life has a certain God's plan, that is, every person has a special place in this life. This realization made me understand why I look at the things and events that surround me in this way. Why do I do art and what is God's plan in my life? These questions opened up my future path, exactly how I need to move through life.

Contemplate the role and responsibilities of an artist in society today. How do you perceive the role of an artist in today's society?

The role of the artist in society is socially creative, i.e. the one on which the thoughts, knowledge and upbringing of the society in which the artist is located depend. A society without artists has no opportunity to develop culturally and spiritually. The artist has a great influence on society with his creative expressions, and this must be understood. In my opinion, often the duties of an artist are not taken seriously, they are underestimated by other people. If you understand the correct model and place of the artist in society, then the artist faces a very special mission and role, as well as great responsibility and duties.

How crucial is it for your audience to grasp the message behind your artwork? Do you create with a specific message in mind, and how do you gauge its reception?

In my opinion, it is very important to convey a certain idea and a certain message to the viewer. This is one of the main tasks of conveying one's own philosophy to the viewer along with such tasks as craft, composition, materials and form of performance. When I create a new work or a series of works, I always analyze how well they interact with my audience, and how well they are understandable.

How do you develop your concepts, and what are the key stages in creating your final work?

It's a long process. It begins with the stage of conception of the future work, the search for natural material, the creation of various sketches and, in the end, the creation of a full-fledged work of art. This process can last quite a long time, sometimes several years, and sometimes even more. Of course, there are exceptions and from time to time it happens that you can do the work, as they say, in one breath, very quickly going through all the stages of creation.

What are your primary sources of inspiration? Do these come from personal experiences, observations, history, nature, or other artists? How important is having a personal connection to the subjects or themes of your artwork? 

Inspiration is a very subjective category of our perception and often it is where you didn't even think to find it. For me, inspiration comes in the process of creating something. I am primarily interested in the process, search and implementation of my creative tasks.

 

It is very important for me to understand and fully immerse myself in the topic of my future work. This is due to the fact that, in my opinion, it is impossible to create something truly true and perfect if you do not research or live this idea or experience in my own life. Because of this, I often work with topics that are really close to me, or that I have experienced before in my own life. I am interested in family topics, ecology, identification, social topics and others.

How do you think social media platforms influence the way art is created and perceived today?

In my opinion, when social networks appeared, they took over the world. On the one hand, they gave many opportunities, on the other, they took away some very important aspects of human life. At the moment, social networks give the artist the opportunity to have a wide audience of viewers, regardless of where you live, and that's great. The ideas and thoughts of artists have the possibility of wider dissemination throughout the world, and not, as before, only locally.

 

On the other hand, social networks do not give a full understanding of the artistic practice of artists, and in my opinion, it is best to see the works in the original, for example at an exhibition. When you look at the work in the original, you have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself and live with the work of art of your life, which is united by this work.

Can art be objectively valued, and what role do you think academic institutions should play in art education?

As with everything there are two sides. One is objective, and the other is subjective. At first glance, art cannot be evaluated objectively, but this is only at first glance. Art, along with other activities, can be objectively evaluated, because there are objective physical laws of nature and rules arising from them, the actual existence of which cannot be ignored. It is by these laws that artistic practices can be evaluated. Educational institutions or various scientific institutions that evaluate art must definitely play an objective role in their assessment, based on these naturally derived laws, unfortunately, this is not always the case.

What are your long-term goals and aspirations as a professional artist?

Probably the main dream of an artist is to be remembered in the world of art. Also to create at least one work that would take a permanent place in the star book of art of all time. The main goal for me is to develop as an artist in all aspects, from professional skills to sales of works.

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As we conclude our conversation with Yaroslav Leonets, it's easy to see his commitment to artistic exploration and expressive visual storytelling. Leonets work transcends geographical boundaries and builds a connection with audiences worldwide. Through his evocative works, Yaroslav encourages wonder and contemplation, allowing the viewer to resonate deeply with his creations. Discover more of Yaroslav's work by visiting his Artit portfolio.