EVENTS / COLLECTION
LUBA LUKOVA: SOCIAL METAPHOR IN POSTER ART
Posters by Luba Lukova from the Collection of “The 4th Block” Eco-Poster Museum
Luba Lukova in Kharkiv (2009)
Luba Lukova is a world-renowned graphic designer and illustrator of Bulgarian origin, based in New York. Born in Plovdiv (Bulgaria), she graduated from the National Academy of Art in Sofia and began her creative career by designing theatrical posters.
Lukova gained international recognition as an illustrator through her collaborations with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Adobe Systems, and Sony Music, as well as through her powerful social posters. She has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prix Savignac at the International Poster Salon in Paris, the Gold Pencil Award at The One Club in New York and the ICOGRADA Excellence Award at the Chaumont Poster Festival.
Solo exhibitions of her work have been held at UNESCO in Paris, the DDD Gallery in Osaka (Japan), the Art Institute of Boston, and other prestigious venues. Her works are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the National Library of France.
In 2009, as a member of the international jury for “The 4th Block” Eco-Poster Triennial, Luba Lukova visited Kharkiv and delivered a lecture for students of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. The collection of “The 4th Block” Eco-Poster Museum includes posters by the renowned designer, some of which are currently on display in an exhibition in the KSADA Library reading room.
Exhibition Curator: Natalia Nerubatska
PHIL RISBECK POSTER EXHIBITION
Posters by Phil Risbeck from the Collection of “The 4th Block” Eco-Poster Museum
Phil Risbeck at the Academy (Kharkiv, 2006)
Phil Risbeck (1939-2024) was a prominent American designer, a professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and founder and co-director of the prestigious Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition. Born in 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri, his life can certainly be described as exemplary. Risbeck was a student of the renowned Herbert Bayer, a Bauhaus legend who emigrated to the U.S. after the school’s closure in Germany. For a time, Risbeck even taught alongside Bayer.
As a man of high culture, Phil Risbeck had a deep passion for theatre. This passion is reflected in his creative legacy, which includes many sophisticated posters for university theatre productions. He was ambitious, kind, and undeniably vibrant, despite some conservative views. He dedicated nearly 50 years to teaching, working as a professor at Colorado State University. It was there that he met his future wife, Mary, with whom he spent his entire life. She also taught drawing and painting at the same university.
Phil Risbeck was a participant and winner of numerous international poster competitions, including the one in Brno (Czech Republic), where he was awarded a silver medal. He also held many solo exhibitions, lectures, and workshops across the globe.
In 2006, Phil Risbeck served as a member of the international jury for “The 4th Block” Triennial in Kharkiv. The photographs published here capture that memorable time. Reflecting on his visit to Kharkiv, he once said: “…my stay in Kharkiv and Ukraine was an unforgettable experience. It was great fun and a wonderful way to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones…”.
Phil Risbeck passed away in December 2024 at the age of 85. Everyone who met him remembers this tall, slim, and friendly man with a neat white beard. The Academy Library is proud to host the latest exhibition of his theatrical posters from “The 4th Block” museum, archive, and laboratory collection.
Exhibition Curator: Natalia Nerubatska
VIRTUAL POSTER COLLECTION / PÉTER PÓCS
Recently, we have been observing an interesting phenomenon: alongside the printed posters, the museum is increasingly building up a virtual (digital) poster collection. Designers send us files of their work and grant us the right to use the posters for non-commercial purposes, such as culture, science and education. For some artists, we now hold up to fifty digital files, allowing us to organise solo exhibitions for them.
One of those artists is the prominent Hungarian designer Péter Pócs (#PéterPócs). This is how he responds to the recent events and their impact on Ukraine: “It makes me feel infinitely sad and helpless watching what is happening in the world, especially in Ukraine, the USA, and Russia, and of course, in Hungary. This nightmare even overshadows the horrific war in Israel… What is happening now between Putin and Trump could lead to an unacceptable and fatal outcome for all of humanity… I react consciously and instinctively to these self-destructive, tragic events”.
We deeply respect Péter Pócs for his compassion, for his support of Ukraine, and we are pleased to publish a selection of posters from the collection he has shared with us.
KARI PIIPPO POSTER EXHIBITION
Posters by the renowned Finnish designer Kari Piippo from the Collection of “The 4th Block” Eco-Poster Museum
Kari Piippo in Kharkiv (2003)
Kari Piippo was born in 1945 in Mikkeli, in the heart of Finland. His father, a biology teacher, writer, and artist, was the first to introduce Kari to the world of art. In 1967, Piippo graduated from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture (formerly the University of Art and Design Helsinki), specialising in illustration and poster design.
Kari Piippo served as the President of the Helsinki Poster Biennial from 1994 to 1998 and received numerous prestigious accolades, including the State Prize in Applied Arts, the “Graphic Artist of the Year” award, as well as four gold and one platinum award.
His international recognition was equally impressive, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals at poster biennials in Mexico, Finland, Poland, France, China, Korea, and the Czech Republic, along with Grand Prix and First Prizes in Slovakia, the USA, and beyond.
He created designs that were pure and minimalist, focusing only on essentials and harmony. An idealist and a kind-hearted man of great integrity, he reached the pinnacle of his profession. He perhaps best described his own work with these words: “I constantly observe the reality around us. It offers plenty of inspiration. Often, the best solutions can be found right on our doorstep. You just have to spot them first”.
Kari Piippo passed away on December 30, 2024, just shortly before his 80th birthday.
Ten of the artist’s iconic posters from “The 4th Block” museum collection are currently on display in the KSADA Library reading room (Building 3, 2nd floor).
Exhibition Curator: Natalia Nerubatska