Vasyl Omelianenko is a potter, Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and the National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine, the laureate of Taras Shevchenko state prize of Ukraine, the laureate of the Danylo Shcherbakivsky prize.

Vasyl Omelianenko was born on August 3, 1925 in the town of Opishnia, Poltava region, in a peasant family. He trained himself to make a pottery: firstly he mastered the technique of making clay toys, in length of time, he mastered the basic techniques of work on the potter’s wheel

During 1950-1985 he worked as a potter and then as a master of a creative laboratory at the Opishnia Factory “Art Pottery”;. In the early 1960s he began to exhibit his works at regional and republican exhibitions of decorative and applied arts. His clay works were awarded almost at all exhibitions. He has repeatedly been the laureate/prize-winner of prestigious republican and all-union art exhibitions, competitions, festivals.

The wares widely represented the art of Ukraine at international exhibitions in Belgium, Canada, Japan, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Poland, the USA, Norway, Great Britain and other countries of the world. They took place of honour in the largest and most prestigious museum collections in Ukraine and some European countries.

Many years of creative work, acquired mastery and public recognition in Ukraine and abroad allowed Vasylii Omelianenko to become a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine, the laureate of the Danylo Shcherbakivsky prize, the laureate of Taras Shevchenko state prize of Ukraine. For his outstanding contribution to the development of Ukrainian folk art, he was awarded the honorary title “Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine” in 1976.

Vasyl Omelianenko’s creative work is an outstanding phenomenon of Ukrainian art.

The artist’s works are classic examples of contemporary folk ceramics. The master prefers a decorative zoomorphic sculpture in his creative work: he produces traditional Opishnia pottery in the form of lions, bulls, sheep, goats. Earlier this things were ritual and weer used in various folk customs and rituals as a container for strong drinks. In the hands of the potter, they turned into unique sculptures with complex unique decorative production systems.

Now a talented master works selflessly in a small home-based studio, has a small furnace. And nothing can distract him from modeling for a long time. For him, his work is his world, his joy, his life.

Vasyl Omelianenko’s creativity is one of the most prominent achievements of Opishnia pottery of the last third of the XX – beginning of the XXI century, and some author’s works became a kind of a visiting card of Ukrainian pottery.

The information was given by the National Preserve Museum of Ukrainian Pottery