Portrait of Taras Shevchenko

Yurii Kutilov was a distinguished painter and graphic artist who celebrated the beauty of Ukraine and its landscapes.

He created portraits, landscapes of Kyiv, Crimea, and the Chernihiv region, still lifes, and thematic compositions in a realist style. The artwork of Yurii Kutilov was shown at exhibitions ranging from all-union group shows to solo presentations.

The artist was born in 1951 in Kyiv. In 1976, he graduated from the Kyiv Art Institute, where he acquired knowledge and experience under such teachers as I. Selivanov, K. Trokhymenko, and L. Chychkan.

From that time onwards, Yurii Kutilov’s paintings were included in all-Ukrainian and all-union art exhibitions. Solo exhibitions were held in Kyiv in 2011 and 2013. In 1982, the artist became a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.

The artist passed away in 2025.

The principal subjects of his paintings are the architectural monuments of Kyiv and the Cossack heritage. In his architectural landscapes, the artist emphasises decorativeness and stylisation, distorting proportions, while in his panoramic views, he gives considerable attention to the sky.

Among Yurii Kutilov’s original paintings are Kyiv Metro Builders (1976), Donbas Portraits (1980), Heroic Arsenal and January Uprising (both 1982), Rural Life (1990), and others. He also produced graphic works.

UFDA digitised two graphic works by the artist from the collection of the Regional Communal Museum of Local History in Borshchiv: Kyiv Evening (1989) and Portrait of Taras Shevchenko (1989).