28x10x12 cm, Terracotta
A gift of Oleksandr Mykhaliuk and Raisa Maievska, 2015
One of the Argentinian critics described Kapschuchenko’s work in three words: “soul, symbolism, character”. The figures of Cossacks, frequently depicted by the sculptor, best fit this description.
“Kobzar z Liulkoyu” (“Kobza-Player with a Pipe”) is a portrayal of a wandering Cossack, a Bandura player. This work is neither static nor dynamic. The author captured when the Cossack paused to rest, lit the pipe, and contemplated his path. The approaching traveller may have met him on the way. The author does not depict a global theme; this is just a captured moment of the Cossack’s journey. At the same time, the figure of the Cossack reveals the Ukrainian legend of Cossackdom, an illustration of an entire era in Ukrainian history that captivated and inspired the sculptor.