Gallery Wall: Oleksii Semenenko

Photographer Oleksii Semenenko alongside a collage of his photographs, including a field of colourful flowers and a bare tree in black and white.

Oleksii Semenenko: 17 Ukrainian Optimistic Landscapes 

“It is well known that when a photographer frames part of a landscape, he is interpreting it. He takes some objects into the frame, excludes some, and thus gives the image a certain meaning and emotional colouring.” 

Oleksii Semenenko, also known by his artistic name Alex Simon, is a landscape photographer and author of photo essays. After graduating from Kyiv University where he studied Ancient History and History of Arts, he travelled extensively and published photo essays and articles in Ukrainian and foreign periodicals. 

Oleskii studied design of antique interiors at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, where his passion for photography and design led him to work in commercial photography. He founded his advertising agency, StudioLux, and Alex Simon Gallery where his art works were exhibited. He has also exhibited in the Ukraine, UK, and US.  

Named as one of the Top 200 Reportage Photographers of 2020 by 35 Awards, his pictures are held in private collections in Ukraine, UK, US, France, and Hungary.  

“My vision of the landscapes presented here is based on my optimistic outlook. Despite the war in Ukraine, I interpret them optimistically. Hence the name of the exhibition: 17 Ukrainian optimistic landscapes. 

"Many years I travelled around Ukraine, fascinated by the vastness and diversity of its landscapes. In my feeling and understanding of the landscape, I always tried to penetrate deep into the ‘history’ of the place I photographed.” 

The photographs on display on the gallery wall are giclee prints on Albrecht Durer Hahnemuhle Archival Quality Paper, and on Epson watercolour premium paper. Photographs are printed in a limited edition.  

Each is archivally mounted on board and is signed on the print and numbered. All prints are provided with a certificate of authenticity.