Ivan Turetskyy

Ivan Turetskyy is a Ukrainian artist who specialises in painting, graphics, and heraldry. Born in 1956 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia to two artist parents, his passion for art developed quickly as a child. He began studying art at the Lviv Institute of Art and Design in 1976 and also took up an interest in collecting books and antiques.

Turetskyy became very involved with the art scene in Lviv and has since remained an important figure. His first exhibition in Ukraine was only in the early 1980s due to his work being deemed too avant-garde for the Soviet government. With the fall of the iron curtain, his success grew as he was able to exhibit and sell his paintings to a wider audience. Turetskyy's paintings are characterised by his dynamic compositions and his use of colour and abstraction. He draws inspiration from music, striving to replicate the qualities of musical compositions in his paintings. The interaction between light and colour is the main focus of his paintings; he feels as if the colour of his works are the most important element.

In addition to being a painter, Turetskyy is one of Ukraine's leading heraldists and is an established collector. He is the co-founder of the Ukrainian Heraldry Society and has designed many coats of arms and state emblems for Ukraine. As a graphic designer, he has made many postage stamps, state awards, and city and private emblems. His work has mainly been exhibited in Ukraine, but he has also participated in exhibitions abroad and his paintings belong to Ukrainian museum collections and private collections around the world.