Ihor Tkachivskyi | Narva installation (Ukraine)

Ukrainian sculptor Ihor Tkachivskyi delves into timeless themes such as human nature, relationships, and the evolution of forms—both organic and inanimate. His work fuses the archaic with the avant-garde, channeling deep emotion and raw feeling. More than simply creating beautiful objects, Tkachivskyi seeks to provoke a response in the viewer, to share his personal vision of the world. Each sculpture becomes a dialogue—an exploration of material boundaries, a play of texture, form, and color, and an invitation into a world of inner experiences and sensations.

A multidisciplinary artist, Tkachivskyi works across sculpture, graphics, and painting. He creates both easel and monumental works, using materials as diverse as bronze, wood, stone, metal, snow, and ice. He also produces large-scale installations.

Over the years, Tkachivskyi has participated in more than 80 international symposiums, exhibitions, residencies, and sculpture competitions. His works are held in collections across the globe, including in France, Argentina, Cyprus, Switzerland, Italy, Iran, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Israel, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Egypt, South Korea, Slovakia, Finland, and Romania.

In summer 2025, Tkachivskyi will be in Narva, creating a new sculptural composition titled The Joy of Being Human. The piece explores the five senses, emphasizing the human body as one of our most precious assets. Crafted from black welded metal plates, the work will symbolize how we perceive the world. As the artist puts it:

«The theme itself is a symbol—you can see it in the news, hear it in the news, smell the smell of change, touch the present and the future, taste life. This is human life.»

Tkachivskyi’s residency in Narva begins in July 2025, with the sculpture set to be publicly opened in mid-September.

This project is part of NAIR 2025—Narva’s public space installation residency program—organized by the Narva Art Residency (NART) in collaboration with the Narva City Department of Architecture and Urban Planning (ALPA). Now in its second year, the initiative brings contemporary artists to Narva to create works for public spaces. In 2024, the selected artist was Lithuanian architect Augustas Lapinskas, who created the installation Tuhast.

The 2025 sculpture will be installed near Narva Town Hall, along the western edge of Helsingi Street, and will also serve as a platform for outdoor exhibitions, engaging diverse local communities.

The project is funded by Narva City, Estonian Ministry of Culture and Estonian Cultural Endowment.