Artist Ivan Marchuk, the only Ukrainian included in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph’s list of the “100 Living Geniuses,” turns 90 today. To mark the anniversary, Kyiv Post presents a retrospective of his most powerful reflections. The artist, who invented the unique style known as “pliontanism” and journeyed from Soviet persecution to global acclaim, speaks of personal dignity, relentless work ethic – 365 days a year – and the singularity of Ukrainian land. Marchuk long ago transcended the boundaries of Ukrainian art to become a figure of global cultural significance. A People’s Artist of Ukraine, Shevchenko Prize laureate, and the only Ukrainian named among the “100 Living Geniuses,” he endured KGB persecution and years of isolation before achieving international recognition and record-breaking sales on the global art market.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. His life mirrors the history of the 20th and 21st centuries: Soviet repression, late recognition, travels across continents, New York before and after Sept. 11, 2001, a return to Ukraine, and later a forced life in Austria after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In each of these periods, Marchuk remained above all an artist – a man for whom art was not a profession, but a way of existence. A professional painter, Marchuk created his own unique artistic language – “pliontanism,” a slang word from his native village meaning “tangled hair.” The style resonates deeply with everything the artist experienced over nearly a century of life. At times, pliontanism resembles an anatomical weave of blood vessels or nerve fibers.