The Odesa Museum of Contemporary Art mourns the unexpected passing of Volodymyr Petrovych Naumets, an outstanding Ukrainian artist whose work significantly influenced the development of contemporary art.

Volodymyr Naumets was a pioneer of the conceptual movement in Odesa and an important figure in the nonconformist art scene, experimenting with new media, including neon installations.

His art blended abstract painting, iconographic traditions, and performative practices, creating spiritually rich images that transform the mundane into symbols of eternity. Projects like “Sign on the Snow” became landmark events in the history of Ukrainian avant-garde.

The museum team emphasized that Volodymyr Naumets was not only a master of painting, graphics, video art, and performances but also a person of profound intellectual strength who inspired all who had the honor to work with him.

“The passing of Volodymyr Naumets is a tremendous loss for the art community in Ukraine and around the world. We take pride in the significant portion of his creative legacy preserved in our collections for future generations,” the museum stated.

Information

Volodymyr Petrovych Naumets was born in 1945 in Lviv. He received his artistic education at the Odesa State Art College (1959-1964) and the Moscow State Academic Art Institute (1965-1970).

In the 1970s, he actively participated in unofficial “apartment” exhibitions in Odesa and Moscow.

Works by Volodymyr Naumets are held in the collections of the Odesa Literary Museum, the Odesa Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Fine Arts of Ukraine, as well as art museums in Bern, Vienna, New York, and private collections in many countries around the world.