Dmitriy Grechko

You mentioned that you rediscovered painting at the age of 34. Can you describe the turning point that made you return to art after so many years?

Moving to Israel was a major turning point for me. It was a challenging time — a new country, culture, language, closing my business in Ukraine, and trying to find myself again. It felt like a form of downshifting, a return to what truly matters. Each painting became a gaze from within, an attempt to understand who I am and express it through color and texture.

Dmitriy Grechko | The Mirror Of Soul | 2024

How did your background in economics and business influence your approach to being a professional artist today?

My background in economics and business serves me well as an artist because I already understand discipline, planning, and working with an audience. But I learned that art isn’t about market and numbers – it’s about moments of truth and freedom. Now I apply business-skills to support the process and logistics, while keeping the creative act open, honest and without limits.

Dmitriy Grechko | Spirit Of The Plains | 2023

What emotions did you experience when you first picked up the brush again after such a long break?

It wasn’t really “again” – it was the first time in a new way. I had been drawing since early childhood — with markers and pencils, even creating my own comics – but I picked up paints and a palette knife for the first time as an adult, after moving to Israel. A friend invited me to her art studio, and after that first class, I went straight to the store, bought all the materials, and began to experiment. It was a moment of deep inspiration and recognition – as if I had finally found my true language.

Living in Israel seems to have had a strong impact on your art. What aspects of this new environment inspired you the most?

Israel has had a huge influence on me. The light here is unique — it feels like it goes through you, making everything brighter and more honest. The contrast between sea and desert, noise and silence, old and new – it inspires me every day. But most of all, it’s the people: open, emotional, and real. All of that has become part of my palette and my inner rhythm.

Dmitriy Grechko | Sea Of Umbrellas | 2023

Your paintings often feature expressive faces and dynamic brushwork. What draws you to portraiture as your main subject?

I’m always drawn to the human face – it holds a whole universe of emotions, stories, and the silence between them. I’m not interested in perfect likeness; I care about capturing the inner impulse, the person.

Dmitriy Grechko | Eternal Inspiration | 2023

Your style combines abstraction with realism. How did you develop this unique visual language?

This language developed naturally – as a reflection of how I perceive the world. Reality for me is always tied to emotion, and emotion is rarely clear or complete. Abstraction lets me express energy and movement, while realism gives it form and grounding. Together, they create that honest middle ground between what is seen and what is felt.

Dmitriy Grechko | Eternal Inspiration | 2023

What does color mean to you? The blue and turquoise tones appear often in your works — do they carry a specific symbolism?

Color for me is not just a visual tool – it’s a language of emotion. The blue and turquoise tones came naturally; in them, I feel depth, air, and space to breathe. These colors hold both calmness and movement, reflection and search.