“HE AND I WERE UKRAINIANS”. Autobiographical Text by Kazimir Malevich [prepay]

 PREPAYMENT: till September 10, 2025. Print: end of September, 2025

The English-language edition of Kazimir Malevich’s autobiographical texts (previously published in “Malevich. Autobiographic notes 1918–1933”), edited by Peter Doroshenko, director of The Ukrainian Museum, New York, with his foreword, as well as an afterword and comments by Tetyana Filevska, the co-founder of the Malevich Institute, offers a new perspective on Malevich’s legacy through the lens of decolonization, emphasizing the importance of his early experiences and how Ukrainian cultural milieu shaped his aesthetic sensibilities and philosophical outlook. This, according to the researchers, allows not only to better understand Malevich himself, but also to enrich our understanding of Ukrainian identity in the 20th century and to reveal a more complex picture of artistic development in Ukraine.

Peter Doroshenko: “The English translations of Kazimir Malevich’s autobiographical essays written in 1933 represent a significant milestone in the recognition and decolonization of his legacy as a Ukrainian artist. Malevich’s contributions as the founder of the Suprematist movement extend beyond mere aesthetics; they encapsulate a complex interplay of cultural identity, revolutionary thought, and artistic innovation.

Translating Malevich’s works into English allows for a wider audience to engage with his profound reflections on art, society, and his Ukrainian heritage. Historically overshadowed by Russian narratives that have often appropriated his contributions, these translations highlight Malevich’s identity as a leading Ukrainian creative of the 20th century, thereby challenging the monolithic portrayal of the russian avant-garde.”

Tetyana Filevska: “In Malevich’s memoirs, we not only see Ukraine through his eyes, but we also grasp how Ukrainian culture shaped his perceptions and formed his understanding of the essence of art. We read how he identified with Ukrainian peasants and sought ideal harmony in the village way of life, which he “copied in everything.” This text is a testament to Malevich’s conscious identification with the community that was closest to him in lifestyle, ethics, and aesthetic dispositions. And it is a retrospective look at the significance of his years in Ukraine for his own formation and the development of his personality from the perspective of a mature, self-aware individual at the end of his life’s journey.”

Translation by Ali Kinsella and Hanna Leliv

Desig by Halia Verheles