My grandfather was a famoust painter whose life and work shaped my earliest understanding of art.
This page is dedicated to his legacy, our shared memories, and the influence he continues to have on my artistic journey
Bobyk Mykola Fedorovych
(December 15, 1929 – December 19, 2010)
He was a famous Ukrainian porcelain sculptor and the chief artist of the Polonne Art Ceramic Factory during its best years. His beautiful work is a big part of Ukrainian art history.
Education: Graduated in 1955 from the Kyiv School of Applied Arts, where he studied porcelain making under the well-known artist O. Hriadunova.
Life Path: He was a World War II veteran and received a "Veteran of Labour" award for his hard work. He was also a deeply religious man and secretly helped the monks at the Pochaiv Monastery during the Soviet era.
Other Talents: He loved art photography (his photos were even published in the "Photo USSR" magazine) and was amazing at woodworking.
Family: His wife, Liubov Hryhorivna Bobyk, worked right next to him at the factory as a porcelain painter.
CAREER & ARTWORKS
Mykola Bobyk spent more than 40 years working at the Polonne factory, going from a master modeler to the leader of the entire creative team:
1956 - Senior master modeler
1960 - Sculptor in the art laboratory
1970 -1995 - Chief Artist of the factory
He designed over 60 unique porcelain figurines and souvenirs. Millions of his pieces were made, bringing warmth to homes all across Ukraine. His artworks were shown at international exhibitions in Montreal, Brussels, and Los Angeles, and were exported all over the world.
MAYOR WORKS
“Tachanka,” created in 1970, ‘‘ T. Shevchenko” (1962), “Kobzar. Perebendya,” “The Girl with the Goat” (both 1964), “At the Skating Rink,” “The Big Catch,” “Russian Dance” (all 1965), “The Young Singer,” “Hopak” (both 1966), “Amateur Photographers. “The Little Sailor and the Photographer,” “The Grandson,” “The Little Eagle,” “Oh, Little Apple…” (all 1967), “The Marten,” “The Woodcutter” (both 1968), “Maly” (1990s); oil bottles -“Cornflower,” “Strawberry” (both 1984); “Rooster” liqueur bottle (1991).
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M. Bobyk. “At the Ice Rink.” 1965. Porcelain, overglaze painting
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M. Bobyk. “Kobzar. Perebendya.” 1964. Porcelain, overglaze painting
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M. Bobyk. “Rooster” Liquor Decanter. 1991. Porcelain, underglaze and overglaze painting
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M. Bobyk. “On the Mountain Pasture.” 1968. Porcelain, underglaze and overglaze painting
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“Hopak.” Polonne, by N.F. Bobyk. 1973–1991.
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A portrait of his wife and a painting on a vase — Lyubov Grigorivna Bobyk
As the Chief Artist, he was the mastermind behind everything the factory produced. He personally managed the artistic control, decided which designs were good enough to go into production, and carefully checked the painting and final look of every piece.
Here are some of the most famous and beloved pieces that passed through his hands and made their way into millions of homes:
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“The Fish” 1960s to the 1990s. Polonne (Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine).
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“Taras Bulba” 1950s (designed by K. Kuznetsov. Polonne Art Ceramics Factory)
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“The Fish” 1960s to the 1990s. Polonne (Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine).
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A May Night. Polonne Art Ceramics Factory. Oksana Zhnykrup. Created in 1956
THE FACTORY MUSEUM & THE LOST HERITAGE
His Biggest Passion: The Factory Museum
The thing Mykola Bobyk was proud of the most was the museum he built at the factory. He came up with the whole idea and personally designed 30 large display cabinets. The museum held hundreds of the best sculptures, unique sets, and rare pieces - it was the living history of the factory.
The Tragedy of the Lost Collection:
In the early 2000s, when the factory stopped working and collapsed, the entire museum collection officially became state and local property. Sadly, because of the chaos of privatization and a total lack of oversight, the government and local authorities failed to protect it.
The museum was looted. The most valuable and rare artworks were stolen or sold into private hands, and they are now lost to the public. For Mykola Fedorovych, who built this museum from scratch and put his whole soul into it, this was a devastating personal blow that deeply hurt his health.
An Ongoing Heartbreak:
Today, you can still find many of these stolen, rare artworks being sold illegally on Russian antique websites. It absolutely breaks my heart to see our stolen heritage being traded away, knowing there is nothing we can do to stop it or bring these pieces back home.
