The exhibition of Professor Roman Vasylyk “Testament of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj in Iconography” is dedicated to the celebration of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Cardinal Josyf Slipyj. Ten compositions – symbolic illustrations of the teachings of the ‘Testament’ are presented at the exhibition. The text of the ‘Testament’ is permeated with autobiographical plots, thus created by Roman Vasylyk iconography of this writing is actually a biography of Josyf Slipyj or using church terminology – his “life icon”. The last will of the Patriarch expressed by the language of the icon does not lose its relevance today. Each piece of work reveals one episode of the Bishop's life and is a reflection of his teaching about prayer, family life and education, development of Ukrainian culture, human rights, interfaith dialogue and church unity in Ukraine.
Roman Vasylyk was born in 1947 in Barysh Village of Ternopil Region, he studied at the A. Erdeli Uzhhorod College of Arts and Lviv State Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts (now Lviv National Academy of Arts). The long teaching activity of Roman Vasylyk started in 1974 at the Department of Interior Design of LSIADA. Since 1988, he has held administrative positions: Head of the Department of Interior Design, Head of the Department of Sacral Art, Dean of the Faculty of Interior and Equipment, and Vice-Rector for Academic Work. At the end of the 80s at the initiative of Roman Vasylyk, separate courses for studying the basics of sacral art were introduced to the education process of the Institute. Later on, this initiative grew into the creation of a separate section of sacral art, and in 1995 – into the establishment of the department with the same name. Today Professor Roman Vasylyk gives lectures on the theology of icons, iconography and conducts the author’s course on icon painting at the Academy. Since 2010, he has been a co-organizer of international open-air icon painting events that take place in Ukraine and Poland annually, as well as a curator of a complex design of dozens of temples – numerous icons and iconostases in different parts of the world belong to his authorship. This year Professor Roman Vasylyk is celebrating his 75th anniversary.
