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Bohdan Polishchuk
set designer, theatre and stage costume designer, graphic designer, director, curator of art projects
Co-founder of the NGO Scenography Gallery (Lviv) and Lviv Quadriennale of Scenography. Curator of Ukrainian pavilions at the International Tbilisi Biennale of Scenic Design (Georgia) 2020, 2022. Curator of the Ukrainian pavilion ‘Garden of Living Things’ at the international Prague Quadrennial of Scenography 2023.
Born in 1986 in Odesa.
Artworks
Biography
Education:
He studied at the Mykolaiv Higher School of Culture, majoring in Decorative and Applied Arts, specialising in Musical Art (2005). He continued his studies at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kyiv), Department of Stage and Screen Arts (2011).
From 2017 to 2022, he worked as a production designer at the Ukrainian Small Drama Theatre in Kyiv. He was the founder and artist of the Independent Theatre Magazine ‘Koza’ in 2009, worked on cover designs and illustrations for books by M. Tomenko, O. Krotyuk, H. Didyk-Meush, P. Midyanka, N. Fedorak, and V. Zelenchuk.
Bohdan Polishchuk's works are easily recognisable due to the clear detail of each element of the production and the overall conceptuality of the design. In his work, he relies on philosophical, ethnic and mythological principles. Theatre critic Olena Kovalchuk notes: ‘The work of the young artist is an example of a new scenographic optics in folklore and ethnographic material, which is full of mythological connotations.’
He curated the Winter School of Scenography of the National Union of Theatre Workers of Ukraine, which took place in Kyiv from 24 to 26 February 2025.
Currently, Bohdan Polishchuk works as a set designer, costume designer, and director. The artist usually implements several projects at the same time, is a mentor and founder of not only Ukrainian but also international scenic festivals, biennials and workshops.
Performances:
Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre: scenographer, costume designer for Ivan Franko's The Rising Hawk, directed by Andriy Prykhodko, composer Susanna Karpenko (2022), director, scenographer, costume and puppet designer for Halyna Lystvak and Olha Renn's Caught Passion, or Overheard Songs of the Prince's Garden, music by Vsevolod Sirenko, Andrii Seletskyi (2017), set and costume designer for the performance ‘Grateful Erodii’ by Hryhorii Skovoroda, directed by Volodymyr Kuchynskyi (2015), set and costume designer for the performance ‘Forest Song’ by Lesia Ukrainka, directed by Andrii Prykhodko, composed by Mariana Sadovska (2011).
Ukrainian Small Drama Theatre, Kyiv: Alex Wood, director, scenographer, costume designer for the play In Her Eyes Are Wandering Lights, composer Yana Shlyabanska, choreographer Svitlana Oleksiuk (2021), author of the play, director, scenographer, costume designer for the play for children Yazyka Hveska (2019), author of the play, director, scenographer, costume designer for the play for children ‘A Story That's Over 2000 Years Old’ (2018), set designer, costume designer for the play ‘Cold Mint’ by Hryhoriy Tiutiunnyk, directed by Anna Ohii (2017), set designer, costume designer for the play ‘Maklena Grasa’ by Mykola Kulish, directed by Dmytro Veselskyi (2020), director, set designer for the play ‘Android. The Number on Your Back by Halyna Lystvak (2019)
National Theatre named after Maria Zankovetska, Lviv: scenographer, costume designer for Buna by Vira Makova, directed by Ihor Bilyts (2020)
First Theatre, Lviv: director, set designer, costume designer of the performance ‘The Fox Who Succeeded’ by Halyna Lystvak, composer Vsevolod Sirenko, choreographer Svitlana Oleksiuk, set and costume designer for Pentecost by David Edgar, directed by Larysa Didenko, a project supported by the British Council (2019), set and costume designer for Granary by Natalka Vorozhbyt, directed by Andriy Prykhodko, in collaboration with Art Workshop DRABYNA (2015)
National Academic Drama Theatre named after Ivan Franko, Kyiv: costume designer for the play Rhinos by Eugène Jonescu, directed by Andriy Prykhodko, composer Victoria Vasalatiy, set designer Olena Polishchuk (2014), set designer, costume designer for the play Paradise Business by Ivan Malkovych, directed by Andriy Prykhodko (2012)
Chernivtsi Academic Regional Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre named after Olha Kobylianska: set designer, costume designer for the play The White Pestilence by Karel Čapek, directed by Dmytro Leonchyk (2023)
Rivne Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre: costume designer for the play Paraskeva by Olha Matsiupa, directed by Dmytro Leonchyk, set designer Olena Polishchuk (2024)
Golden Gate Theatre, Kyiv: scenographer, costume designer for the performance ‘Skating Rink’ by Laura Cynthia Cherniauskaite (Lithuania), directed by Dmytro Leonchyk, composer Bohdan Lysenko, choreographer Dmytro Mitichkin (2024)
Projects implemented:
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director and artist of the dance performance ‘Dance Macabre. The Immortal Dance, choreography by Les Kekuatov, music by Varvara Turta, premiered at the Les Kurbas Lviv Academic Theatre. Second premiere at the international festival Naujasis Baltijos Šokis/New Baltic Dance, Vilnius (Lithuania). The performance was commissioned by UA Dance Platform (Ukraine) and The Place (UK) as part of the Let The Body Speak project and supported by the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute as part of the UK/Ukraine Cultural Season (2023).
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director, set designer and costume designer of the play ‘A Girl from Hiroshima Who Is Afraid of Thunder’ by Hisashi Inoue, composer Yana Shlyabanska, National Centre for Theatre Arts named after L. Kurbas (Kyiv) in cooperation with the NGO Scenography Gallery with the support of UCF (2023)
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author, curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion ‘Garden of Living Things’ at the Prague Quadrennial (2023), Prague, Czech Republic
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director of the play-opera The Art of War, lib. Myroslav Laiuk, composer Serhiy Vilka, Nova Opera and Sed Contra Ensemble, premiere at the Lviv Organ Hall (2022)
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director of the musical and theatrical performance ‘Vertep. A Neo-Baroque Mystery’, based on the 18th century score. Olena Polishchuk, stage designer and costume designer, screenings in the Great Bell Tower of the Kyiv Cave Monastery, the National Centre ‘Ukrainian House’ in partnership with the Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema of Ukraine, and with the support of the UCF (2021)
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scenographer, performance costume designer - lectures ‘Bronislava Nizhynska: Dance Reconstruction’, choreographed by Svitlana Oleksiuk, composed by Yana Shlyabanska, premiere at the Les Kurbas National Theatre Centre, Kyiv, Ruban Production LLC, with the support of UCF (2021)
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costume designer of the dance video performance ‘Architectilo’, choreographed by Svitlana Oleksiuk, comp. Yana Shlyabanska (2021)
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director of 4 performances for children: ‘Rhythms of Africa’, “The Great Jazz Journey”, “Spanish Story”, “Musical Ukraine”, N. Havrylko, Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theatre, within the framework of the project “First Step into Great Art” with the support of the UCF, art director Olena Polishchuk, music director Serhiy Nesteruk (2020)
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author of the project and director of the performance ‘Mr Schoenberg's Bizarre Tales’. A project of the NGO Scenography Gallery, in partnership with the NGO Studio Fugue / PUC - Pop Up Collective (Austria). Supported by the Austrian Cooperation Office in Lviv, Per Forma grant from Kyiv Contemporary Music Days. Costumes and scenography by Olena Polishchuk, composer Akim Zvarych, choreographer Maria Shurkhal, Kyiv-Lviv (2024)
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author of the project and the director of the website of the performance project ‘Playing hide and seek with Mr Liatoshynsky’. A project of the NGO Ignatius Korda, in partnership with the NGO Studio Fugue / PUC - Pop Up Collective (Austria), and the NGO Liatoshynsky Foundation. With the support of the Austrian Cooperation Office in Lviv, a grant from the Goethe Institute in Ukraine. Costumes and set design by Olena Polishchuk, music by Yana Shlyabanska, choreography by Maria Shurkhal, and production by Ruslan Kirsh. Screenings took place at the ROLIT House, Borys Liatoshynskyi's Cabinet-Museum, Kyiv (2023)
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set and costume designer of the ballet D.I.M., choreographer Ilya Miroshnichenko, composer Viktor Rekalo, project of the Insha Dance Company with the support of the Goethe Institute in Ukraine, premiered at the International Centre of Culture and Arts of Trade Unions of Ukraine ‘Zhovtnevyi Palats’ (2023)
Exhibitions:
2024 - curator, author, and participant of three exhibitions of the project ‘Ukrainian Theatre Costume of the XX-XXI Centuries: Identity, Context, Landscape’ at the Dzyga Art Centre (Lviv), the gallery of the Rozdroża Centre for Intercultural Creative Initiatives (Lublin), and the Museum of Theatre, Music, and Cinema (Kyiv). The project is supported by the UCF and the Ukrainian Institute
2024 - participation in the exhibition of scenography ‘760. SCENOGRAPHY’. Lesia Ukrainka Museum, Kyiv
2024 - participation in the exhibition ‘100 Years of the Avant-Garde Museum’. Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema of Ukraine, Kyiv
2023 - co-curator of the exhibition ‘Ukraine and the Prague Quadrennial’ at the Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema of Ukraine, Kyiv
2022 - participation in the Triennial of Scenography named after D. Lider. Gallery of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv
2022 - participation in the exhibition ‘Danylo Lider Triennial of Scenography: To continue’. Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema of Ukraine, Ukraine, Kyiv
2021 - ‘Bohdan Polishchuk's theatrical costumes’ personal exhibition. Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema of Ukraine, Kyiv
2019 - ‘Chimerical Fairy Tales’ - a personal exhibition of scenography by Bohdan Polishchuk. Scenography Gallery, Lviv
2017 - ‘Scenography of Bohdan and Olena Polishchuk’. Mykolaiv Regional Art Museum named after V. Vereshchagin
2017 - ‘Contemporary scenography of the Les Kurbas Theatre’. Scenography Gallery, Lviv
2016 - ‘Scenography of Bohdan and Olena Polishchuk’. Scenography Gallery, Lviv
2016 (2013, 2010) - ‘Triennial of Scenography named after D. Lider’. National Museum ‘Kyiv Art Gallery’
2015 - personal exhibition ‘Scenography. Lviv Notes’. Olena Zamostian Gallery, Kyiv.
2014 - personal exhibition ‘Instead of Action. Scenography of Bohdan Polishchuk’. Gallery ‘Art of Slobozhanshchyna’, Kharkiv
2012 - personal exhibition ‘Scenography of Bohdan Polishchuk’. Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine, Kyiv
2012 - exhibition of scenographers within the framework of the International Youth Theatre Forum, Chisinau (Moldova)
Awards:
2017 - semi-finalist of the international competition of directing and stage design ‘Ring Award 2017’ (Graz, Austria), project of scenography and costumes for the opera ‘Don Pasquale’ by G. Donizetti (directorial concept by Y. Zhuravkov).
