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Some exhibits are about 100 years old. Vitebsk Oblast is reviving insite art traditions
VITEBSK, 8 January (BelTA) - Insite art is experiencing a kind of renaissance, with young people starting to engage in this form of non-professional art, Anna Perlina, Head of Exhibition Activities at the Vitebsk Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art, told BelTA.
In 2026, she was awarded a presidential grant to restore the pieces from the insite art collection. This will contribute to the preservation and promotion of Belarus’ intangible historical and cultural value “The Traditions of Insite (Naïve) Art of Vitebsk Oblast” both within the country and abroad. “In recent years, our center has carried out extensive exhibition work. Through ethnographic expeditions, we have gathered a collection from across the entire region, approximately 300 pieces of insite art. It is also called ‘naïve art’ and in this form of art, people without formal artistic training paint, carve wood, and sculpt clay as they see and envision the world,” Anna Perlina explained.
She noted that the Vitebsk Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art regularly holds exhibitions, competitions, and practical workshops, and also organizes traveling exhibitions to introduce residents of Vitebsk Oblast and other regions to its rich collection. The exhibitions are also displayed abroad.
Among the works gathered from cities and rural communities in Vitebsk Oblast, some exhibits require restoration, while others simply need to be framed. “People did no always keep paintings, wooden sculptures, and shop signs in proper conditions. If it was a rural house, the stove would be heated intensely in winter but not in summer, causing the paint to crack or peel. Soon, we will select the pieces that need to be restored and will invite specialists to restore and preserve the authenticity of each piece,” Anna Perlina said. She added that, for example, the famous painted rugs, malyavankas, also belong to the category of insite (naïve) art.
She also explained that the pieces of original, self-taught artists differ somewhat depending on where they live. In a city, these are most often shop signs or plaques for stores and workshops, while in a village, they tend to be paintings and sculptures with natural or folk motifs.
Anna Perlina noted that in the past, insite (naïve) art was mainly pursued by retirees, who had the opportunity to engage in creativity in their free time after work. Today more and more young people are now also being drawn to it. “Insite creativity lives in our country, within us. It has now entered a new phase. The cultural and historical center ‘Vitebsk’s Golden Ring Dvina’ has a club for insite art enthusiasts called Kontur and it is attracting participants aged 30+. They are very interested and actively promote this art,” she said.
Throughout the year, each artifact selected for restoration at the center will be brought into proper condition. “We will also organize other events, such as traditional culture lessons for children and adults, to promote this form of art. These will include practical workshops and exhibitions, both in our country and abroad. We have a monthly plan laid out,” she noted.
However, the Vitebsk Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art will not stop at restoration work, exhibitions, and educational events. The center will also continue to search for new works by amateur artists across the entire Vitebsk Oblast. “The oldest piece in our collection is about 100 years old. Not many such examples remain. We must preserve them and pass them on to the next generation, so they can see how one can express themselves in art even without knowing the rules of composition or color theory. When the heart longs for expression, for flight, when it seeks inspiration, nothing can hold a person back. They simply take paints or tools and begin to create in their own way,” Anna Perlina noted.
She added that exhibitions of insite (naïve) art can astonish even seasoned viewers. “What impresses is the imagination of an ordinary person who can depict a bird of paradise, a fairytale creature, or a place close to their heart in a way that simply takes your breath away. This is more about how a person saw and felt, about emotions, sensations, and a longing for beauty,” Anna Perlina said.
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