“I chose abstract painting because it allows me to concentrate as much as possible on the creative process and be in the moment here and now. Nature scenes are the source of inspiration for my artworks. It could be waves rolling ashore, fog in the park, dawn in the mountains and many other impressions from my travels.”
Kladov was born in a small village near Lviv. He has always been a person of nature. Since childhood he spent hours in the fresh air and admired the views of the Carpathians. As he grew up he started to go hiking and sometimes disappeared in mountains for days.
He left the home early. When he was 16 he entered the Lyceum of Art and moved to a flat which they rented with his friend, who was a local musician. Together they continued their way of becoming important people in the world of art.
School and early years
Kladov didn`t like school, he missed the classes and ran away from school just to enjoy time with books or friends. At the age of 13 he started to catch interest in painting. His family was not rich that`s why he got part time jobs to earn some money to buy needed tools and canvas. He was interested in painting mountains and still has a plenty of sketches and unfinished paintings of the mountains. In the high school Kladov realized that he wanted to receive formal Art education as well, as he believed that he could make this hobby his profession as well.
The artist`s mother recalls that she “has never tried to judge his decision”. She trusted her child and knew that he would choose his way in this life by himself. Kladov`s father was a trucker, he worked hard and sometimes was absent for month. Father was not a big fan of his son`s choice, as he always considered him as a future surgeon. They had a plenty of quarrels and misunderstandings regarding the Kladov`s future, but at the end of the day father accepted his choice and even helped him to enter the Lyceum of his dream.
“My dad was strict, but even he felt that I was mature enough even at my young age to take my own decisions”
University years
After finishing the school Kladov spent 3 years in the Art Lyceum in Lviv.
Lviv is a very picturesque city in the Western Part of Ukraine. It`s a city of musicians and painters, a perfect place to give birth to a new talent. Kladov was very hard working, his teachers remember him as an “always optimistic person, who was never afraid of implementing new ideas”
The artist recalls the time in Lviv with warmth, as he met a lot of good-natured and talented people there. Kladov avoids using word “talented” as for him it sounds rather offensive.
“I met people who were pro in Art, but none of them was born “gifted” or something. The secret of their success was long hours of work and self-discipline.”
At the second year of education Kladov started to practice his skills outdoors, He painted people for symbolic amount of money, and he got a lot of attention from locals. Initially the artist took inspiration only in nature but later he realized that people`s emotion were giving him not less energy for creating. The artist continued his studies at Kyiv National university of Fine Arts. Admission office representatives were surprised by his enthusiasm and eagerness to learn new things. At that time his works were far from real masterpieces, as the artist claims himself, but they had energy, that`s why Kladov was enrolled at the university.
“I have been to Kyiv several times before I entered the university there. I can say, that travelling to there and living there are two different things. You are becoming addicted to these wide streets and busy pase of life. Despite the busy lifestyle people there are openminded and active, they never stay at one place, the live their life in movement and this way of life is close to my personal ideology.
The best inspiration for the artist
After 4 years at the university Kladov moved to Kharkiv. “ I did it a bit late as Kharkiv is literally a student city, but still I enjoy living here”
Throughout the study years the artist travelled around Ukraine, he set personal record and visited all the big cities of Ukraine and discovered carefully all the scenic spots in Western part of Ukraine.
“I never wanted to go abroad, I knew that it makes no sense to go far away and search for beauty abroad, when we have our own beauty here in our homeland.
In his artworks he captured local fauna of western Ukraine, for example in paintings BIGHORN SHEEP and OX as well as PROUD DEER, LONE PREDATOR and RED POWER. All the paintings he made can be classified into categories in accordance with his travels.
“My favorite work is THE SUN OVER UKRAINE . It shows how happy I am to be born here in this wonderful country. When you sit into the train and look out the window you realize that you need nothing but these endless yellow fields and blue peaceful sky.
Exhibitions and Events
2012 - Plein Air in Carpathian region (Ukraine).
2014 – Art Exhibition "Tradition and modernity" Historical and Architectural Conservation Area of Zhovkva (Lviv region, Ukraine).
2016 – Art Exhibition during the Cinemaway fest (Zhovkva, Lviv region, Ukraine).
2017 - All-Ukrainian contest in painting "Silver Easel (spring)" (Uzhhorod, Ukraine).
2017 – Exhibition of applicants to the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kharkiv.
2018 - All-Ukrainian Exhibition dedicated to the Day of the Artist, National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kharkiv.
2018 - Member of National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
