Guided tour of 'The Deepest Black' Exhibition

Exhibition 27 March 2026, 17:00

Lviv, 33 Ivana Franka St, entry code 38, third floor

INDEX invites you to a curatorial tour of Volodymyr Chornyi’s exhibition. The tour will be led by his wife, Olena Biletska, on 27 March at 17:00, marking the artist’s birthday.

About the Artist

Volodymyr Chornyi was born in Kropyvnytskyi. Dreaming of becoming an artist since childhood, he pursued his professional education at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Professor A.V. Chebykin’s studio of easel graphics). His path was a testament to his persistence: he applied seven times, finally succeeding on his eighth attempt. This tenacity remained a defining feature of his creative life.

Following his studies, Chornyi established himself as a film decorator. His craft shaped the visual worlds of acclaimed films such as Pamfir, Iron Butterflies, The Gateway (Brama), Our Cats, and Viddana. As a production designer and decorator, he also worked on music videos for Okean Elzy, DREZDEN, Sonia Kay, TNMK, and many others.

With the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Chornyi volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where he took the call sign "Kara" (meaning "black" in Turkic languages). He was killed in action on 9 May 2023. Volodymyr Chornyi was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit (3rd Class) and the Order for Courage (3rd Class).

"It was difficult for Vovchyk at war; he was, after all, an artist, a man of culture, but he couldn't have done otherwise... He created an atmosphere wherever he went. His comrades said he had a way of bringing comfort to even the wildest and most harsh conditions. Sometimes the boys would return from a mission to find he’d made borscht for everyone—it smelled like home, even in the midst of grey bunkers," shared his wife, Olena Biletska, during the opening.

You can learn more about the artist and view his works on his website. A detailed portrait of Volodymyr Chornyi was also published as part of the project 'Killed by Russia: Figures of Ukrainian Culture'.

About the Exhibition

The artist worked primarily in his preferred medium of etching—a form of intaglio printmaking on metal. Chornyi’s prints are multilayered, rich in metaphor, and imbued with philosophical, cultural, and historical depth.

The exhibition features his etchings, the copper plates from which the works were printed, as well as drawings, sketches, and photographs from the film sets he worked on. Visitors can also read the stories Chornyi sent to his friends from the frontline ("the zero line").

"Volodymyr embedded deep meanings in his works. As one artist to another (I paint as well), he would always tell me: 'Olenka, mix your black; make it from several colours, make it deep and complex. Among artists, it’s considered poor form when black is simple—without adding other hues, it looks flat,'" recalls Olena Biletska.