False Memories

2019, Painting, Oil, Fiberboard / Hardboard , Contemporary

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In the image, a group portrait reveals a composition of six conditional figures posing in tracksuits. If portrait painting were historically employed to recognize or remember a particular, originally powerful person, with the growth of accessibility to digital cameras, portraits, in general, concluded to have a direct connection to wealth or power. Therefore, the figures in the painting are devoid of significance, and consequently of any facial features—their faces are replaced by simple beige spots.

Rather than focusing on the individuals' unique features, the artwork documents an epoch, emphasizing its time's aesthetic. Thus, the painting is less a portrait of people and more a portrait of a portrait, reflecting the broader cultural moment.

For her “False Memories” project, Anna Nykytiuk recreates images from her family photo album. Among other paintings in the series, one can often see a figure of a young girl—presumably the artist—posing for the camera. However, Nykytiuk deliberately omits to paint any facial features, making almost any viewer, from a similar time and context, relate.

The artist depicts the memories in slightly faded-out muted colours. Not only are the faces left blank, but the backgrounds too become indistinct: the places could be in any post-Soviet city—or even beyond. This approach blurs the distinction between individual identity and collective memory, making the scenes feel simultaneously personal and universally shared.

Valeria Schiller Art historian, writer, and curator of contemporary art

Digital original details

Format
Digital Original Standard
Resolution
400 MPX
Color depth
48 bit 281 Trillion Colors
Original file size
1368 MB DNG File

Physical original details

Country
Ukraine
Years
2019
- Styles
  - Contemporary
- Medium
Physical canvas
29.5cm x 21.1cm
Framing
No framed

Anna Nykytiuk

Anna Nykytiuk is a multidisciplinary artist known for exploring themes of privacy, collective trauma, and memory. Her artistic practice frequently involves working with photography, particularly archival images, which she translates onto canvas.

Biography of Anna Nykytiuk

The artist was born in 1998 in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. She graduated from the Lviv National Academy of Arts majoring in monumental painting, and completed the Method Fund course "Positions of the Artist".

The artwork of Anna Nykytiuk was featured in the exhibition “NICHTELEMBERG” at 91 Gallery in Frankfurt, Germany. The show explored the "non-Lviv" aspects of the city’s life during the full-scale war, alongside artistic reflections on past ruptures and separations from history.

Currently, the artist lives and works in Lviv.

Anna Nykytiuk’s Famous Paintings: A Journey Through Trauma and Reflection

The majority of Anna Nykytiuk’s paintings feature empty faces that serve as whimsical mirrors, inviting viewers to see themselves.

Her series "False Memories" (2019) features hauntingly abstract and surreal depictions of human figures and everyday scenarios. The hallmark of “False Memories” is the intentional omission of facial features, creating an unsettling yet contemplative atmosphere. These portraits of empty faces invite viewers to project their own identities, memories, and emotions onto the subjects, transforming the artwork into a deeply personal experience. Anna Nykytiuk's paintings' cost varies, reflecting her growing recognition in the contemporary art world.

Anna Nykytiuk's Art Style

Her art represents the study of privacy, collective trauma, memory, and the search for universal experiences through personal ones. In her artistic practice, she often turns to photo archives, transferring images from photographs to canvas. The empty faces in her works serve as mirrors, allowing viewers to see themselves, project their own memories, and uncover what lies hidden in the subconscious.

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