The event, “A Visit to the Studio of the Wonderful and Talented Sculptor Oleksandr Ridnyi,” was part of a series of traditional cultural and artistic meetings for artists and art enthusiasts. It was organized by Yurii Putnik, a cultural activist and founder of cultural initiatives. The distinctive feature of the meeting was the opportunity to see not an exhibition hall but the artist’s genuine working environment - the place where artistic concepts take shape and sculptural images are created.

During their visit, the students had the opportunity to speak directly with Oleksandr Ridnyi, learn about his creative environment, and view sculptures, sculptural compositions, reliefs, graphic sketches, working materials, and different stages of creating works of art. This format allowed them to follow the process from the initial concept and search for an artistic image to work with form, volume, proportions, texture, and materials.

The studio visit had significant educational value for future designers and complemented their study of the courses History of Art and Fundamentals of Form Development and Model-Making. The students were able to observe the practical application of the principles of composition and form development, the relationship between mass and space, and the specific features of three-dimensional modelling. They also gained a better understanding of the connection between a graphic sketch and its subsequent three-dimensional and spatial realization.

Oleksandr Ridnyi was born on September 16, 1961, in the Kharkiv region and studied at the Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute. His professional career has been closely associated not only with monumental and easel sculpture but also with art education: he worked as an associate professor in the Department of Sculpture at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts.

Among his best-known works are the Independence Monument on Constitution Square in Kharkiv, featuring the image of Nike; monuments to Dmytro Bahalii and Andrew the First-Called; the Cyclist memorial; and other works that have become part of the city's public space.

The creative meeting gave the students an opportunity to combine their theoretical training with direct observation of an artist's professional practice. Their introduction to Oleksandr Ridnyi's studio broadened the future designers' artistic outlook, developed their spatial thinking, and helped them understand the importance of exploring form, experimenting, observing, and continuously working with materials in a creative profession.

Faculty of Arts