Tistol Oleh

Oleg was born on August 25, 1960 in Vradiivka, Mykolaiv region. In the family of Valentina Sergiivna Bolharyna, a teacher, and Mykhailo Fedorovych Tistol, an astronomer.

In 1970, the family moved to Mykolaiv, as Oleh’s mother was appointed head of the regional department of culture there. This allowed her to initiate the foundation of the Children’s Art School No. 1. In 1972, Tistol began to receive his first art education there.

In 1974, together with his mother, he moved to Kyiv, where he entered the Taras Shevchenko Republican Art High School (RHS), painting department. Afterwards, he wanted to enter the Lviv State Institute, where his classmates went, to study weaving. However, he failed. In 1978-1979, he worked as a lettering artist at the Mykolaiv Art Fund, in art and production workshops. In 1979, he entered the Lviv State Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts, Faculty of Interior and Equipment. He studied there until 1984.

From 1984 to 1986, he served in the military unit Makariv-1. Even there, he does not leave his artistic work.

1984-2001 – “Ukrainian Money Project”, in collaboration with Mykola Matsenko, who joined in the 1990s.

In March 1987, he took part in the Republican Youth Exhibition held in Kyiv under the title “Youth. Openness. Perestroika”. 1987 – in the exhibition-collaboration with Estonian artists – “Kyiv – Talin”, at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI). 1988 – The first joint exhibition of Soviet and American artists in the hall of the Union of Artists. It was during the latter event that Oleh Tistol and Kostiantyn Reunov learned about squatting in Furmansky Lane. In the same year, they and their families moved into the workshops in the lane.

1987-1992 – Together with Reunov, he developed the program “The Volitional Edge of National Post-Cleftism.”

In 1988, Tistol and Reunov, in collaboration with curator Olha Sviblova, began presenting their works in Glasgow, Reykjavik, Helsinki, and other cities.

1992-1993 – Together with his wife (Maryna Skuhaieva), he receives a scholarship and moves to Basel (Switzerland). There, he was involved in joint projects with Gia Japaridze, Andre Clement, Suzette Beck, Ronald Wüthrich, and Ilse Ermen.

Since 1993 he has been living and working in Kyiv.

1994 – participates in the 22nd Biennale in São Paulo. 2001 – at the Venice Biennale.

In 1988, he began working on a series of works “National Geography” (the name of a famous popular science magazine). In it, the artist explores different peoples and tribes. Work on the series continues to this day.

From 2002 to 2009, he worked with the curator Olha Lopukhova, and their joint project was the personal exhibition “Art Fund” (2009).

In 2004-2006, he created a series of paintings called Television, inspired by the events of the Maidan (the Orange Revolution).

2008-2015 – an annual participant of ART-KYIV Contemporary. Natalia Zabolotna is the head of Mystetskyi Arsenal and the project manager.

Since 2009, he has been collaborating with art dealer Ihor Abramovych. The artist’s works appear at Sotheby’s, and later at Christies, Phillips, and De Pury Bonhams.

2010 – joined the international fair “Art-Kyiv Contemporary” at the Mystetskyi Arsenal, together with Mykola Matsenko and Maryna Skuhaieva. The project manager and head of the Arsenal is Natalia Zabolotna.

In 2011, she participated in the project “Independent”. New Art of a New Country 1991-2011 and the International Contemporary Art Week “Space Odyssey 2011”. Both events took place at the Mystetskyi Arsenal, which was then directed by Natalia Zabolotna.

2013 – present, cultural project “University”, in collaboration with Andriy Zelinsky.

2017 – participated in the group exhibition “Raymuseum: Tistol, Matsenko, Minin”, curated by the gallery’s founder Natalia Zabolotna and Daryna Mo Mot.

2020 – personal exhibition “60 Years of Independence” at the Korsak Museum of Contemporary Art in Lutsk and the Museum of Modernism in Lviv.

2022 – to date – a series of works “Mountains” – “Ai-Petri”, which will continue until the Ukrainian flag flies at the top.

Since the full-scale invasion, the artist has been donating to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, along with other first-echelon artists, as part of the Front Art volunteer group.

He created a series of works that are still in progress: “Shadows”, “Palms”, “Mountains”, “National Geography. Strangers”.

Nowadays, the works of several series of the artist are exhibited at Art Ukraine Gallery.