En
On June 6, young Belarusian artist Yaraslau Kirvel opened his first solo portrait exhibition, “Honor Board”, in Warsaw. Everything is done in the “best traditions of our glorious republic”: power outages, a KGB-style cap, and Leonik Tarasevich in uniform – in the center of the exhibition. The opening took place at the Museum of Free Belarus. Belsat attended the event.
“Honor Board” consists of 39 portraits of Belarusians on the central wall of the hall and 12 slightly smaller ones on the side wall (39 + 12). Among the portraits are Leonik Tarasevich (in uniform, at the center), Uladzimir Niakliaeu, Lavon Volski, Andrej Khadanovich, Katsiaryna Vadanosava, Mikita Naidzenau, Siarhei Khareuski, Viachaslau Bark, Ales Dzenisau, Alhierd Bacharevich, Maksim Zhbankou, Uladzimir Arlou, and many others (some of whom are unrecognizable).
In the lower right corner of the exhibition is Yaraslau Kirvel’s self-portrait, with curled mustaches and a keen gaze – as a signature for the entire project. But the portraits of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Zianon Pazniak, which the artist had passionately talked about two years ago, are not present on the “Honor Board.” The question of their absence – admittedly unexpected – is postponed, because the hall suddenly plunges into darkness…
“Oh, it’s fine, Belarusians can manage without electricity,” says one visitor. “Calm down, that’s what Charnukha used to do: turn off the lights before the premiere of ‘Violence’,” says another. People relax.
A few minutes later, from the darkness, with a bright green scarf, music and the actor (Viachaslau Kmit in “Swan Song” by Fiodar Vozierau) materialize, beginning the opening ceremony of the exhibition of a “republican and internationally significant artist.” Something is said about “summer, youth, and informal patriotism,” but the words are drowned out by applause when Yaraslau Kirvel appears near the microphone – and brings light back to the room.
“I was inspired, when creating these artworks, by ‘Painting of Belarus from the 12th–20th centuries.’ The cultural figures represented here are the essence, the color of the nation, of our Belarusian culture,” says Yaraslau Kirvel, adjusting his cap and showing the audience the album he holds in his hands.
Red carnations are brought to the “High Commissioner for Cultural Affairs.”
The “Honor Board” is declared open, but the organizers note that a short award ceremony will take place a bit later.
Among the crowd, we catch the gaze of poet Mikita Naydzonau. We remark that in Kirvel’s portrait, Mikita (on a blue background) looks more stern.
“The artist always has his own vision, which can differ from how you see yourself… In Yaraslau’s works everyone looks a bit gloomy, thoughtful. Maybe a little more troubled than in real life. But maybe that’s his style. Or maybe he brings out his own inner melancholy and shows it through his works. Who knows!.. Or maybe it’s because all the sculptures of Belarusian partisans are like that—grim and somber, just like those same Belarusian partisans in Yaraslau Kirvel’s portraits,” reflects Naydzonau.
The poet admits he would gladly take his portrait home.
“And where would you hang it?” we ask.
“In the bathroom,” Naydzonau replies.
A bit later, Mikita Naydzonau receives a special diploma from Kirvel, since his portrait was the first one the artist painted for this series. And notably, the portrait of Naydzonau was created back in Belarus!
Among those also awarded are musician Ales Dzyanisau, priest Vyachaslau Barok, curator Volha Klip, actor Vyachaslau Kmit, and others.
A Belarusian woman standing nearby remarks on “the interesting and unusual combination of colors” in Kirvel’s portraits and admits that if she could, she would take with her the “portrait of Father” Vyachaslau Barok.
“This is not just an ‘Honor Board,’ it’s almost an iconostasis,” adds another woman.
Another visitor, who introduces himself as Maksim, pauses before answering the question of why the models in Yaraslau’s portraits all look so serious — without smiles.
“What is there to smile about? Serious portraits by a serious artist,” our interlocutor replies without a hint of a grin.
The “serious artist” Yaraslau Kirvel is easy to spot after the award ceremony thanks to his red cap. We congratulate him and ask a few questions. The first — about the cap, the second — why there are no portraits of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya or Zianon Pazniak.
“The cap? My whole image is inspired by the aesthetics of the Belarusian Union of Artists, and everything here is done strictly in the finest traditions of our republic. The cap, by the way, comes from our friendly German Democratic Republic — yes, from the GDR. When I was on a residency in Berlin, I performed an artistic act of buying and selling this very cap at a flea market,” the author of ‘Honor Board’ explains.
On the lapel of his red jacket, a badge is pinned. It reads: “I can spit 25 meters.”
Yaraslau bursts out laughing and corrects us: “I can swim 25 meters!”
It turns out to be a badge from “OSVOD BSSR” – the Society for Water Rescue – from the same era, style, and spirit as the Union of Artists.
“As for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Zianon Pazniak… I was prepared for that question. You see, not every space allows you to hang everything. It’s better to do something well than to show everything you have. The Honor Board isn’t made of rubber. We made, let’s say, a selection — and displayed only figures from the cultural sphere: historians, writers, artists, journalists, poets, musicians. There are actually many more — there are graphic portraits and painted ones. Not everyone fit in — even Mikita Melkazyora didn’t make it,” the artist patiently explains.
Will there be a separate series of portraits featuring politicians?
That, Kirvel says, will depend on whether there’s a suitable venue and time for preparation. In total, he has created over 100 portraits of prominent Belarusians — so there’s plenty to choose from.
All the portraits were painted from life — and that, according to the artist, explains the somewhat somber expressions of his subjects.
“All of them were done from life. Even the self-portrait. People posed for me, sat two or three hours in front of my easel. That’s why they look so serious,” Yaraslau Kirvel reveals with a smile.
The “Honor Board” is the artist’s first solo exhibition in Warsaw. Previously, his works were shown at exhibitions in the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where Yaraslau continues his studies (third year, Faculty of Painting), and at the “My” café in Poznań, where in May 2025 he presented his project “Kwiecień.”
“From today’s exhibition, you can trace how my artistic style has developed,” says Yaraslau Kirvel.
“Because the first portrait — of Mikita Naidzionau — was made back in Belarus, while the portraits from the small ‘Honor Board,’ where twelve of them hang separately, were painted quite recently. The portrait of curator Volha Klip was created literally yesterday — already with three years of Academy experience behind me. I think my style is shifting from academicism toward expressionism. And I also started to see people a bit differently.”
We remind Yaraslau how, two years ago during an interview, he was furiously devouring a student pizza and dreaming of having dumplings for lunch.
“Maybe your student life has become a bit more well-fed over these years?” we ask the artist.
“Life is buzzing! Life is being rethought. I’m reflecting on life,” says Yaraslau Kirvel, looking at us with hunger but great clarity. “Yesterday evening I ate two kebabs in a row. And today I’ve barely eaten — just no time…”
Kirvel’s portraits can be purchased (or commissioned) by contacting the artist directly.
Yaraslau Kirvel was born in 2003 in Hrodna.
“A Belarusian artist of the new generation whose artistic practice is focused on exploring the visual presence of the individual in contemporary history. The artist tirelessly works with the image, drawing everywhere — at a bus stop, in a café, in his studio, at home, or at a concert… In his portraits of figures from the cultural field, Kirvel combines documentary observation with a strong, distinctive visual language,” — reads the curatorial note to the exhibition.
Yaraslau Kirvel’s portrait exhibition “Board of Honor” can be viewed at the Museum of Free Belarus in Warsaw (Foksal 11) until July 1.
Original article: belsat.eu
