Nagulyak Peter - People's Artist of Ukraine

Petro Nahuliak: a singer of sun and harmony in Ukrainian painting

Nahuliak Petro (also known as Peter Nagulyak, Peter Nahuliak), born on October 8, 1965, in Kokhanivka village, Ananyiv district, Odesa region, is a distinguished Ukrainian artist and watercolorist. His work beautifully continues the traditions of the South Russian school of painting and Odesa's plein air practices. Filled with light and harmony, his pieces celebrate nature, the sea, and the beauty of every passing moment. In 2024, Petro Nahuliak was honored with the title of People's Artist of Ukraine.

Education and artistic journey

Petro Nahuliak's artistic path began with an in-depth study of painting. In 1989, he graduated from the art and graphics department of the K. D. Ushynsky Odesa State Pedagogical Institute, where the talented Valentyn Zakharchenko served as his mentor. Since 2012, Petro Nahuliak has shared his expertise by teaching at the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University in Odesa.

Since 1986, Petro Nagulyak has actively participated in numerous city, regional, and national exhibitions. His solo exhibitions have been successfully held in Odesa (2001, 2006–2007, 2011), Yuzhne (2001), and Ochakiv (2008). In 2003, the artist became a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.

Artistic style and philosophy

The artwork of Petro Nahuliak is characterized by a poetic vision of landscape images and a deep immersion in the challenges of light and color solutions. The artist masterfully perceives color, skillfully composes and resolves chromatic tasks, and subtly conveys the diverse moods of nature. His paintings, be they landscapes or still lifes, literally draw viewers in with the artist's remarkable sense of harmony with the surrounding world, his ability to see and reflect beauty in every corner of nature.

As exhibition curators note, Petro Nahuliak's paintings are the quintessence of his love for life. They celebrate the sun, the sea, and happiness, and the works themselves are perceived as visualized poems of love. The artist admits that for him, the most important thing is not just to convey the botany of flowers or the architecture of a courtyard, but also to "tame the play of sunbeams."

Legacy and recognition

Works by Petro Nahuliak are held in prestigious museum collections, including the Odesa Art Museum, the Taras Shevchenko National Museum in Kyiv, and the Lutsk Museum of Contemporary Art. His paintings are also highly valued and found in private collections across Ukraine, Germany, Canada, and the USA, attesting to the international recognition of his talent.

Petro Nahuliak doesn't merely adhere to the traditions of the realistic Odesa landscape painting from the 1960s-1970s; he develops them, creating a unique style filled with light and sincerity. His works offer an opportunity to breathe in the summer breeze, bask in the warm sunlight, and revel in life's splendor, no matter the weather.