The exhibition title, 20•30•10, is symbolic. Behind its stern laconism, lies a whole life story, of the life lived and the life that could have happened. 10 years ago, Zhenya tragically died. She was only 20. In April 2010, had it not been for the tragic accident, she would have turned 30, and her numerous sketches could have grown into full-scale paintings.

The recognition came to Evgeniya Kovalenko after her tragic death. Her legacy of altogether 50 works has been exhibited in Russia and abroad more than once. Some of her works are held in the collection of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

The show at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art will feature previously exhibited works, such as «The Mill of Life», photographs of Zhenya made by talented photographer Alexander Minayev, as well pencil drawings by Zhenya, including «Dance» series, that will be displayed for the first time. These amazing drawings excellently transmit Evgeniya’s character and her attitude to life, a life lived lightly and sweepingly fast, following the flow of pencil line in her drawings.

To the memorial exhibition opening, a brochure will be issued.

A naïve artist is artistically extrovert. It can be explained by unwillingness and inability to suppress, ration out the energy inherent in a work of art; regardless, positive or irritating. It’s a question of experience. Professional artists, while building up their own style and mythology, inevitably procrastinate to fit within a given framework, even if they are at the avant-garde forming new visual forms. One is the most important features in Evgeniya Kovalenko’s drawings is the raw perception, the unformatted, untamed impression of reality. Almost all of her works are expressionistic, and it is not the result of blind following the style or adhering to the tradition. Striving to express momentary impressions, to speak out, the artist «swallows» certain details of reality, its colours and overtones, living empty spaces. But this emptiness is not gaping: the tension and impulse behind it complete the insufficiency of form. The formal structure, in which and desire and anticipation are intertwined, remains unmouldable, it breathes.

Yevgebiya Kovalenko did have enough time to learn how to fit the impression into a previously conceived scheme, mapped out with regard to previous mistakes or achievements. Hence the freedom of expression, the courage to convey the ephemeral situations and effects, which, seemingly manifest, often fail to attract the attention of professional artists, interested in more profound matters, such as harmony and colouristics. Whereas a naïve artist at the first discovery moment is only driven by risk and passion.

Leonid Lerner, 2001

Evgeniya Kovalenko. Biography.

In 1996, Evgeniya Kovalenko finished School № 1269 in Moscow with distinction. She is a graduate of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Выпускница, Department of Journalism. She spoke German, English, Check, and Spanish. Evgeniya worked as a special correspondent of «Sobitiya» program at TVCenter. She was always interested in drama and painting, attended master-class by Zurab Tsereteli at Russian Academy of Arts.

Evgeniya died in a car accident on October 13, 2000. She is buried in the city of Tarragona, near Barcelona in Spain.
Exhibitions of her paintings have been held at various venues in Russia and abroad (France, Spain) since 2000, including the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Exilibris Museum, Spanish Cultural Center, the Cervantes Institute, Intercolor gallery, «Aquamarin» gallery.

Evgeniya was painted by prominent Russian artists Ilya Glazunov and Igor Obrosov, French artist G. Juon Ergine dedicated his exhibition «Evgeniya’s New Voyage» to her.

Yevgniya’s paintings were displayed at the annual «August» International Festival dedicated to late poet Ilya Tyurin (Moscow — Pushkin Hills, August 2004 — 2009).

The «Case-record of Love Disease» play by Evgeniya Kovalenko was staged at a number of theatres (V. Visotsky Center in 2002, directed by R. Sotiriadi; «Liki» Irkutsk Young People’s Theatre in 2007). The play was nominated at the 3rd «Theatre of Childhood and Youth — 21st Century» International Festival in Voronezh in October 2003, and at International Theatre Festival of young theatres (Pforzheim, Germany, 2007).

The «Forever 20» Memorial Museum of Evgeniya Kovalenko was opened at School № 1269.
Catalogues on the art of Evgeniya Kovalenko were issued.