Kateryna Bilokur (1900 – 1961) was a Ukrainian folk artist whose work became known in the 1930s and ’40s for its intricate yet straightforward representations of nature infused at times with a sort of visionary or quasi-mystical sense of the unworldly. In 1950, she was named “The People’s Artist” of Ukraine.
She began painting in earnest when a song she heard on the radio inspired her to send a drawing of a flower on canvas to the singer, who responded with encouragement for her to continue.
Often Bilokur combined spring and autumn in a single picture, the making of which over the span of several months, occupied the timeframe represented. For me, the authentic, original vision of nature that she instilled in her best work still rings true.
