Gavdzinsky Albin | House of Artists

Gavdzinsky Albin (1923-2014) was a distinguished Ukrainian artist, recognized as Honored Artist of Ukraine in 1976 and People's Artist of Ukraine in 2004.

A talented painter, Gavdzinsky excelled in landscapes, genre scenes, and portraiture. His works are instantly recognizable, whether it's a portrait, a sweeping landscape, or a narrative composition. Each piece is imbued with a delicate lightness, transforming ordinary subjects into something exceptionally beautiful.

While he worked successfully across still life, landscape, and genre compositions, his artistic brilliance shone brightest in his landscapes.

Gavdzinsky's art is held in numerous art museums across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Lviv. His work is also featured in private collections worldwide, spanning Ukraine, Germany, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

In his youth, Gavdzinsky honed his artistic skills at two fine art studios: the Palace of Pioneers and the House of Creativity. His dedication and work ethic earned him high praise from his instructors, Bershadsky, Zeitlin, and Timofeev.

From 1940 to 1950, he studied at the Odesa Art College, graduating with honors in 1950 under the tutelage of Mykola Artemovich Pavlyuk. Though recommended for the Riga Academy of Arts as a top graduate, Gavdzinsky chose instead to contribute to the construction of the Kakhovka HPP. He found inspiration in life's dynamism, in the acts of movement and creation, and skillfully infused the poetic essence of these construction-day realities into his art.

Between 1941 and 1946, he served in combat as a flight instructor in a Soviet Air Force flight school.

Gavdzinsky's solo exhibitions were held at the Odesa Art Museum and museums in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Known for his incredible work ethic and persistence, Gavdzinsky's drawings and outdoor sketches were characterized by their precise forms and vibrant colors. His artistic perspective was shaped by visits to museums and exhibitions, as well as by trips with his teachers to Crimean collective farms and Odesa's industrial enterprises.

His first solo exhibition (jointly with K. Lomykin) took place in 1954 at the Odesa Art Museum.

In 1961, Gavdzinsky was named an Honorary Citizen of Nova Kakhovka. He generously gifted 237 of his paintings to the city, which formed the foundation of the municipal art gallery. In 2003, the Nova Kakhovka Art Gallery was named in his honor.

For two decades, Gavdzinsky served on the board of the Odesa branch of the Union of Artists of Ukraine. He lived and worked in Odesa for most of his life.

Albin Stanislavovich shared his passion for art with his family. In 2011, his granddaughter, Linda Strautman, established the "Artists' House" art gallery in the heart of Odesa, continuing his artistic legacy.