Garik Goryany. Biographical information

Gary Goryany was born on April 21, 1964, in Bila Tserkva (USSR) in a family of physicians,  people who were academically gifted and talented. Gary's older sister started drawing early and fascinated her brother with painting.

There was a literary creative and artistic atmosphere in the family house. An ancient library, painting and photography workshops were tuning to develop his creativity. His parents wrote poems and plays, drew and encouraged children to express themselves. Gary considers that such books as Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1907), "The Zohar" by Rabbi Shimon, Herbert Wells' science fiction, "Myths of the Peoples of the World", self-published copies of esoteric books and Eastern meditation practices, etc. gave a certain worldview and creative-searching attitude. The house was visited by writers, poets, artists and collectors. Among them I especially remembered my mother's childhood friend who passed through the GULAG’s camps, Mark Rosenfeld, a distant relative of Marc Chagall's wife Bella. The children and their friends put on plays and puppet shows for their guests.

During high school years Gary was interested in history, archaeology and semiotics, he even participated in the excavations with the archaeologists he knew, travelled with his parents to different cities of the USSR, visiting museums and theatres, historical exhibitions and exhibitions of Kyiv Union of Artists. In Kyiv he studied painting  under the guidance of his dad's friends, artists Yuri Yurovsky and Victor Khomkov. It was then that he became acquainted with the artist Nikolai Glushchenko and set designer Fyodor Nirod, who deeply sharpened his creative sense of the world perception and broadened the range of his figurative activities.    

The idea of creating an author's painting started up within the scope of the atypical interpretations of a mythical story or a religious idea in an original sign-symbolic techniques, as their "esoteric structures", attempts to play on their plurality of meanings.

Gary painted a number of paintings on shamanism ("The Visible and Invisible Worlds" series).

1981-1985
He went to Moscow, entered the Moscow State Art Institute named after V.Surikov, studied under the guidance of Professor Geli Korzhev. After a year of study, he was called up to the military service, a special unit of the Ministry of Defence in Moscow. He performed graphic and painting work of a special purpose, in particular, related to the study of anomalous phenomena. He also performed some special works for the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense. For his exceptional drawing skills he was attached to a specialized study group at the USSR Academy of Sciences. After service, Gary met the Rector of the Institute, academician Pavel Bondarenko, and studied painting under the guidance of Professor Alexei Gritsai, graphics - under the guidance of Lidia Ilyina and Professor Yuri Shanov.

He visited the All Union exhibition "Our Contemporary" in Moscow (Central House of Artists, 1983); The First All Union Exhibition of Sculpture (Central House of Artists, 1983); The Second All Union Exhibition of Drawing (1984).

During these years in Moscow he met Evgenia Zavadskaya, an orientalist-sinologist. He created a number of works in the series "Meditative Transformations" and “Vimanas”. He also met the religious scholar and sinologist Evgeny Torchinov and the egyptologist Natalia Pomerantseva. He participated in the activities of the Studio of Military Artists named after M. Grekov.

Under the impression of collaboration with the astronomer, physicist and ufologist Yuri Zigil, Gary has created works such as "Solar Twins", "Primordial Mind", "Mystical Spirals", "Luna-21" and others.

 He was fascinated by the works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Rudolf Steiner. The result is a series of works called "First Things". He met the artist and the playwright Peter Haas, and thanks to him he became acquainted with the art critic Mikhail Alpatov, the people of the broadest horizons who can captivate and fill up with knowledge.

1985-1987
Feeling the need for a deeper comprehension of the "human phenomenon", he entered Vinnitsa Medical Institute named after N. Pirogov, where he studied anatomy, physiology, psychology, Latin, etc.

He created a number of works in a surrealistic manner, in particular "Symbols of Contemplation", "Between the Visible and the Invisible", as well as the series "Universum", the triptych "Rhythms of the Absolute", where metal and wood installations are used along with painting.

He was fascinated by the works of Nikolai Kuzansky, Rene Guénon and Alexei Losev.

He attended the first all Union exhibition of easel graphics in Moscow (1986).

In 1987 he moved to Kyiv and got acquainted with the writer, historian, and one of the "Memory of centuries'' magazine editors Vasily Turkevich, who inspired Gary Goryany to write professionally. His articles and publications appeared in a number of publications, including "Science and Society", "Science and Religion".

The series of works called "Magic of Gemini" appeared.

He met the artist Irina Lysenko, who offered Gary to settle down in her old workshop at 22 Andreevsky Decent, next to Mikhail Bulgakov's house-museum.

He was working on a series of paintings "Myths and Symbols", which he presented later in Moscow, where Gary went to at times to visit his teachers and friends.

He attended the All Union Exhibition "Country's Youth" and the All Union Exhibition of Theatre, Film and Television Artists in Moscow (1987).

1988

He was in charge and organized programs at the Republican Centre for Spiritual Culture (CSC). The audience was attracted by scientists and poets, theatre people, representatives of various religious and philosophical groups and movements. At that time he met Yuri Shvaidak, a nuclear physicist, creator of Kyiv "Ufology Mission". He created the series of paintings and assemblages "Pre-Life", which were shown in CSC.

He visited the All Union Exhibition of Young Artists in Moscow.

1989
He entered Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, where he studied philosophy, history of world culture, arts and religions.

He created a triptych "Prints and Reflections" ("Green Deities", "Labyrinths", Adept") and met Kyiv artists Zoya Lermon and Yuri Lutskevich, and thanks to them he got acquainted with the painter Boris Litovchenko.

1990-1991
He attended the "Avangard 20/90" exhibition at Manege (Moscow).

He began his activity in the International Academy of Cosmosophy, organized by Yuri Shvaidak, in particular, in the scientific research direction aimed at the study of ancient images that contributed to the concentration and manifestation of certain mental states as stimuli for the feeling of the unconscious, the art of meditation, religious and mystical practices in the history of human culture, ritualized cults and ceremonies. Scientists, historians, orientalists, practitioners and theorists of various religious trends were invited. The writer Oles Berdnik and the writer, paleovisiologist Rostislav Furdui took part in the activities of the Academy.

He created a number of assemblages under the working title "Paleo Contacts".

He attended the All Union Art Exhibition "Soviet Russia" (Manege, Moscow).

1992
He participated in the All-Ukrainian autumn art exhibition ("Conception" work, 1992, oil on canvas);

All-Ukrainian art exhibition dedicated to the first congress of the Union of Artists of Ukraine ("Magic of Gemini" work, 1991, oil on canvas).

He organized "Cosmosof Art Gallery" and unveiled a number of his works entitled "Cosmology. Figural and symbolic model of the Universe", "Vanished civilizations".

1993
He had his personal exhibition at "Victoria" gallery, Kyiv (the series of works "Through the visible - to the invisible", 1991-1992).

He attended "Mikhail Shemyakin. Metamorphoses of Illusion" exhibition at "Krymsky Val" gallery (Central House of Artists, Moscow).

He also worked as a producer at "Film" Creative Association  (Far Eastern Film Company, Kyiv branch).

1994
He participated in the All Ukrainian spring art exhibition of the Union of Artists ("The Legend of the Golem" work, 1993, mixed techniques).

By the invitation of the “Rapid” Gallery, he went to Prague with the personal exhibition "Sources of Infinite Forms".

He organized his personal exhibition at the National Opera of Ukraine during the First International Ballet Competition named after Serge Lifar ( together with the sculptor Vladislav Gritsyuk).

He met the impresario Antonio Zorzano Rierra (Andorra), who took the Gary Goryany exhibition to his gallery in Andorra.

1995
There was a personal exhibition organized by the International Academy of Cosmosophy in the halls of the National Bank of Ukraine ("Spirals and Labyrinths" series, paintings and assemblages).

He got acquainted with the artist Eugene Roitman and then he became involved with the study of Judaism and Kabbalah.

He visited Mikhail Shemyakin's exhibition at the Nashchokin House Gallery in Moscow.

He participated in the presentation of "In the heavens and depths of Cosmophy '' monograph by the physicist Yuri Shvaidak in the Literary and Memorial Museum of P.G. Tychina (Kyiv), showing his works from the "Secrets of the Cosmosophy" series.

He graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and he got his diploma.

He created a number of works - "Hecate", "Paganism", "Mystery Game", "Nature of People", "Allegory of Being", "Anima" and others.

1996
He participated in "Cathedral" the first All Ukrainian exhibition ("Easter Sunday" Assemblage, 1995, House of Ukraine).

He visited Mikhail Shemyakin’s exhibition at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

He created a series of works "The Names of God".

1997
He attended the exhibition of Aron Buch, presented by "Less Oreades"gallery  (CHA, Moscow).

He continued the series of works "The Names of God".

He participated in "Cathedral" the Second All Ukrainian Exhibition  (House of Ukraine, Kyiv), at the exhibition of modern art (Taras Shevchenko Museum)

1998
He travelled around Europe and kept working on "The Source of Infinite Shapes" and "Spirals and Labyrinths" series .

1999
Personal exhibition in the Vernadsky State Scientific Library.

He entered the Kyiv Union of Artists.

2000
He got acquainted with the society of the Russian-Swedish group and went to the "Lagerval" gallery in Gothenburg with his own personal exhibition ("Cosmic Dance" exposition). At the invitation of the Swedish theater director and playwright Robert Jacobson, he spent the summer at his "Albatros" Theatre Academy near Gothenburg. There he got acquainted with the group "Shamanic Conservancy" studying and practicing North American shamanism. As a result he got closer to its members, people from different countries. This has significantly expanded the range of acquaintances and opportunities in Europe and the UK.

2001
He participated in the exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Kyiv region (Regional State Administration, Kyiv); took part in the exhibition dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Independence of Ukraine organized by the Foundation for the Promotion of Art (Kyiv).

He organized some private exhibitions in Stockholm.

2002
He had been travelling around Europe, spending almost a year in Spain and Portugal, studying Kabbalah.

He created a number of works in the "Kabbalistic Meditation" series.

He organized several private shows in Madrid and Porto, among them one in "Igreja Baptista de Cedofeita" (Porto city).

2003
He met Bruno Basiaco, an English artist and gallery owner, Gary Goryany made "Prints and Reflections" personal exhibition in his London salon "Start Gallery 2000". He lived in London for some time, visited galleries and museums, worked in his studio on assemblages from "Kabbalah. Games and Transformations" series.

He participated in "Artists in memory of Babyn Yar victims" exhibition action, organized by the Foundation for the Promotion of Art, the Museum of History of Kyiv.

2004
Trip to the USA. The Meeting with the artist Anton Kandinsky in New York, who got him acquainted with Eva Goldstein, the head of the Kabbalistic Center in Manhattan. He demonstrated there the series of works entitled "Astrology and Kabbalah".

He visited the "Aztec Empire" exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum (New York).

He travelled around the state of New York, in such cities as Woodstock, Albany and Hutson, where he attended "Art Fest". He met American artists, like Peter Bokalo and Yuri Guk, the leaders of PLAST Camp "Wolfstrek", a scout camp. During the summer he arranged painting workshops there and kept working on "Astrology and Kabbalah" series.

2005
Together with the artist and architect, professor of philosophy Nikolai Volga he organized the exhibition called "Cosmosophy of time" at the Ukrainian Institute of America in Manhattan (New York) and met the famous journalist Natalia Belaya.

He attended the opening of the Ukrainian Museum in New York, its new building in the East Village, later he attended a large exhibition of the artist Alexander Archipenko. He is a regular visitor of New York exhibitions and thematic exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art and others in New York.

2006
In New York, he met the writer and art critic Alexander Gleser, founder and director of the Museum of Russian Art (MORA) in Jersey City (New York), and participated in several museum exhibitions with works from the "Spirals and Labyrinths" series.

2007
He took part in the exhibition dedicated to the Foundation Day of the Museum of Russian Art (MORA) in Jersey City (New York, USA, "Mystical spirals" assemblage).

He traveled to Canada and visited the Montreal Museum of Modern Art (musee d'art contemporain de Montreal).

He attended the exhibition of the American sculptor Frank Stella at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to get acquainted with his flat (lithographic) and relief variations based on the graphics of El Lissitzky, as well as many different exhibitions in the SOHO and Chelsea galleries (Manhattan, New York).

Gary attended Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey.

2008
Personal exhibition at "Interart" gallery (Chelsea, Manhattan) entitled "Emotion Incarnate".

He travelled to Egypt, attended Cairo Museum and climbed Mount Sinai.

Participation in Art Expo, Jacob Javits Center (New-York, the USA).

He began the series of works "Search for Universe Elements".

He attended the Guggenheim Museum "A Photographic Tribute to the life of Robert Rauschenberg, 1925-2008" exhibition, as well as the exhibitions of Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol.

2009
He took part in the collective exhibition at the Museum of Russian Art (Jersey city, NY), presenting "Kabbalah and Cosmocentrism" works ("Meditative metaphysical spaces" series), and got acquainted with the artist Leonid Pinchevsky.

He attended the Smithsonian Museum of American Art "Washington, the USA". Gary attended Columbia University in New York.

2010
February 10, 2010 he participated in the opening ceremony of the gallery "Butterfly Art Center" (Red Bank, created by Natalia Belaya), near New York. At the same time "The Evolution of Butterfly from Andy Warhol to Gary Goryany" personal exhibition of Gary Goryany was opened.

He attended the Museum of Art in Philadelphia, studying a large collection of works by Pablo Picasso.

He travelled with friends along the East Coast from New York to Miami, Florida, attending museums and art fairs.

2011
 "The Ultimate beginning" personal exhibition at the Art Center (Red Bank NY, the USA).

He participated in the exhibitions “The 25th Annual Juried Art Show 2011", Center for the Visual Arts (CVA, Brookdale Community College Lincroft, the USA.)

He took part in organization of the exhibition "The Art of Jazz", (also unveiling the work "Immanent of Transcendence", "Butterfly Fine Arts Gallery" Red Bank, NY, the USA.

2012
He attended the "Art Center of South Florida" (Miami Beach, Florida).

He was working on the series of paintings and assemblages "Meditative metaphysical spaces".

He attended the Kabbalistic Center (Boca Raton, Florida. USA).

He had been travelling with friends along the US West Coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Gary attended Stanford University in California.

2013
Personal exhibition at the Sholem Aleichem Museum entitled "Meditative transformations (Kyiv)".

Together with the artist Len Yurovsky (USA) he was working on the series of pictorial assemblages "Vatican-World Civilization".

2014-2019
Collaboration with the American Eurasian Art Foundation (AEAF).

He travelled around Europe, in particular in Italy and France.

He was working on a series of paintings "Kabbalah and Postmodernism".

Personal exhibition at the I. Kozlovsky Center (Kyiv).

He met People's Artist of Ukraine and Russia Larisa Kadochnikova and the director Galina Chernyak. They created "Gary Goryany - artist, philosopher, traveller" documentary.   

Together with Larisa Kadochnikova he was working on the collages about Ukrainian cinema and, in particular, about the director Sergei Parajanov.

The collages were shown in the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery" and, later, at the Dovzhenko Film Studio (Kyiv).

He worked on the series of paintings and assemblages "Chaos and Cyberculture".

"Collages" films  (directed by Sergei Galushko) were released.

He collaborated with the Ukrainian collector Dmitry Ratoshnyuk, who sponsored and shot two films about the work of the artist Gary Goryany (director Nikolai Druzhkov, scenario by Alla Zhyvotova).