With the support of the Zionist Federation of Ukraine, an open course by art historian Diana Klochko titled “Artists of Jewish Origin and Ukrainian Modernism” will begin soon.

Classes will take place online via Zoom every Wednesday at 8:00 PM on June 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2026.

To participate, please register via the link: https://forms.gle/amLN3AjJEp2iUCRr5

Artists of Jewish origin became active and highly visible contributors to visual modernism from the second half of the 19th century. They made significant efforts to obtain artistic education, joined creative groups alongside artists of various nationalities, and exhibited their works both in Ukraine and in major European art centers.

Between the two World Wars and during the era of totalitarian regimes, their situation became catastrophic. Nevertheless, they adopted different strategies in response to the authorities of the countries in which they lived. During the period of the Ukrainian “Sixtiers” and in the decades that followed, artists of Jewish origin played a leading role in introducing new visual ideas, demonstrating how elements of naive art could intertwine Ukrainian and Jewish motifs.

This mini-course by Diana Klochko will explore key themes that help trace the influence of Jewish artists on Ukrainian art from the late 19th to the late 20th century. It will be especially valuable for those interested not only in individual biographies or artworks, but also in the broader process through which expressions of ethnic identity evolved into diverse movements within visual modernism in painting, graphics, and sculpture.

Course topics and dates:

June 3
“Late 19th – Early 20th Century: Why Did Artists of Jewish Tradition Turn to Visual Modernism?”

June 10
“Between the Two World Wars: Collaboration Between Jewish Artists and Modernists from Other Countries”

June 17
“20th-Century Totalitarian Regimes and the Strategies of Jewish Artists: Destruction, Coexistence, Escape”

June 24
“The Ukrainian Sixtiers and Artists of Jewish Origin: Contributing to the Renewal of Visual Language”

Participants who attend all lectures and complete a final assignment will receive a certificate.

About the lecturer

Diana Klochko is an art historian, exhibition curator, editor, and translator. She is a member of the Ukrainian section of AICA (International Association of Art Critics) under the auspices of UNESCO and a laureate of the Yurii Shevelov Prize.

Course organizers

The course is organized by the International Interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Jewish Studies under the auspices of the A. Yu. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It will be held on the platform of the “Diye-Slovo” Studio with the support of the Zionist Federation of Ukraine.