The First Private Museum of Contemporary Art of Ukraine presents the exhibition project “A Bouquet of Love” as part of its “Family Values – Kinship Ties” series. The exposition brings together the works of two renowned Zakarpattia artists, Ivan and Larysa Brovdi, whose creative and life story serves as a profound example of partnership, mutual support, and the preservation of individuality.

Ivan Brovdi (1939–2023) was a prominent Ukrainian sculptor and painter, a People’s Artist of Ukraine, and a key representative of the Zakarpattia school of art. His legacy is well-known not only in museum halls but also in public spaces, where his sculptures have become iconic symbols of the Zakarpattia region, particularly Mukachevo. Having begun his career in sculpture and woodcarving, the artist eventually expanded his creative range into painting. His canvases are distinguished by a bold color palette, sharp contours, and decorative expressiveness. Brovdi joined the ranks of painters as a unique visionary who built his own figurative world based on a deep understanding of folk traditions and spiritual essence. His works feature everyday people and scenes filled with symbolism, where the mundane is reimagined through the artist’s keen and often sharp perspective. He spoke of profound truths without pretense—at times with gentle irony, at others with a poignant sense of contemporary struggle.

Alongside him is Larysa Brovdi (b. 1939), a painter, woodcarver, tapestry master, and member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Her work carries a different tone—quiet, focused, and deeply emotional. Larysa’s pieces are characterized by an intimate, philosophical contemplation of the world, revealing a delicate presence of the artist and an attentiveness to internal human states and subtle nuances of feeling. This is art about love—restrained yet deep, centered on sincerity and inner silence.

Despite a shared journey that began during their student years at the Uzhhorod Art College, each artist developed a distinct, recognizable signature. Their creative tandem is a rare example of the harmonious coexistence of two unique artistic worlds. “A Bouquet of Love” continues the artists’ long-standing collaboration with the museum; their works have been exhibited here numerous times and are part of the museum’s permanent collection. Symbolically, more than a decade after their joint project “Spring for Two,” the museum once again returns to the theme of their creative dialogue. This exhibition explores love in its many forms: as a feeling, as a shared path in life and art, and as a timeless source of inspiration and inner strength. Eleven years have passed between these two exhibitions, and once again, we meet the artists in the springtime. The titles “Spring for Two” and “A Bouquet of Love” echo one another, weaving a single narrative about two brilliant artists and a depth of connection that transcends both the seasons and time itself.