The artistic expression of Opanas Zalyvakha is simple, but at the same time, it has a deep content and meaning. The artist skilfully synthesizes Ukrainian artistic traditions with individual approaches. The artist comprehends the most difficult categories: the essence of human life, freedom, the eternal search for truth, and rebellion against the system. In his works, he has raised the issues of forced displacement, cultural expansion, and the genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Fleeing the Holodomor in 1932-1933, Zalyakh's family moved to the East. In 1961, the artist returned to Ukraine and settled in Ivano-Frankivsk. He began to explore his identity and was looking for an answer to the ‘Who am I?’ question. The artist turns to Slavic mythology and the worldview of traditional Ukrainian art and observes nature and its colors.
