Danik Manzhos

“I create beings that never ask permission to exist — they radiate chaos and playfulness, because that’s where true freedom lives.”

Danik Manzhos (b. 1997, Donetsk region/Kyiv) is a Ukrainian artist celebrated for creating free‑form abstract characters that transcend traditional genres. Based in Kyiv, his work blends irony, playful forms, and vibrant color, inviting viewers into a participatory interpretation.

Artist of playful abstract characters and expressive painting

Danik Manzhos was born in 1997 in the Donetsk region and currently lives and works in Kyiv. Free‑form abstract characters marked by irony, unconventional design, and vivid colors. His works are genre-fluid, inviting viewers into interpretive play. His practice blends pop‑cultural and mythological motifs with experimental techniques, including digital translation into painting. The 2024 series Les Trois Danseuses showcases a shift toward sculptural and painterly hybrid forms.

Represented by

Mironova Gallery

Credentials

Awards

2021 Laureate (2nd Prize) of the Heorhiy Yakutovych All-Ukrainian Exhibition and Competition (Kyiv).
2021 Winner of the mural competition by the "Artarea" Cultural Center (Kyiv).
2020 Finalist of the international contemporary art competition "Portal Art Prize 2020" (Kyiv).
2019 Winner of the "Mural Social Club" street art festival (Young Artists category).
2018 Awardee (Diploma holder) of the All-Ukrainian Biennale "Graphics-2018" (Kyiv).

Solo exhibitions

2024 "RESONANCE" (collaboration with Astian Rey), Imagine Point Gallery, Kyiv
2023 "FREE FORM," Portal11 Gallery, Kyiv
2022 "TRANSFORMATION," Imagine Point Art Space, Kyiv
2021 "DANIK MANZHOS: GRAPHICS & PAINTING," Contemporary Art Gallery, Kyiv
2020 "META-MORPHOSIS," Artarea Cultural Center, Kyiv
2019 "CHARACTERS," Lera Litvinova Gallery Art Space, Kyiv
2018 "URBAN ECHO," NAAU Exhibition Hall, Kyiv

Group exhibitions

2025 "Travel to Art Award," Miami Beach, Florida, USA (during Art Basel Miami week).
2024 "Interiors," Imagine Point Gallery, Kyiv.
2023 "Form. Color. Space," National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery," Kyiv.
2021 "Heorhiy Yakutovych Art Prize Exhibition," Artist's House, Kyiv.
2021 "Portal Art Prize 2021: What is Blue?," Portal11 Gallery, Kyiv.
2020 "Portal Art Prize 2020: Wonderful New World," Portal11 Gallery, Kyiv.
2019 "Mural Social Club," Monumental Art Festival, Kyiv / Odesa.
2019 "The Garden of Sculptures & Art," Sophia Kyivska, Kyiv.
2018 "Graphics-2018 All-Ukrainian Biennale," Artist's House, Kyiv.
2018 "Kyiv Art Week," International Art Festival, Kyiv.
2017 "GOGOLFEST," International Multidisciplinary Festival, Kyiv.
2017 "Young Art of Ukraine," NAAU (National Academy of Arts), Kyiv.

Media coverage

International fairs

2025 "Travel to Art Award," Miami Beach, Florida, USA (presented during Art Basel Miami week).
2024 "RESONANCE," Imagine Point Gallery, Kyiv (international curatorial project).
2022 "Search for Words," Korsak’s Museum of Modern Ukrainian Art (MSUMK), Lutsk (international project featuring resident artists).
2021 "Portal Art Prize 2021: What is Blue?," Portal11 Gallery, Kyiv (international juried exhibition).
2020 "Portal Art Prize 2020: Wonderful New World," Portal11 Gallery, Kyiv (international juried exhibition).
2019 "Mural Social Club," International Monumental Art Festival (mural creation in collaboration with international curators).
2018 "Kyiv Art Week," International Art Festival / Art Fair, Kyiv.

Personal

2025 International Stage (Art Basel Miami Week) — Featured in the "Travel to Art Award" exhibition in Miami (USA, 2025), representing the pinnacle of international recognition for an emerging Ukrainian artist.
2024 High-Profile Brand Collaborations — Developed the exclusive visual concept for the "Kyiv Rose" capsule collection by the Kachorovska brand specifically for TSUM Kyiv (2024).
2021 Academic Recognition — Awarded the prestigious 2nd Prize at the Heorhiy Yakutovych All-Ukrainian Art Competition (2021), confirming his high-level mastery of graphic arts.
Created a signature technique involving preliminary 3D modeling of characters followed by transferring volumes onto canvas using airbrushing and oil pastels.
Monumental Muralism — Executed a series of murals in public spaces across Kyiv and Odesa as part of the international Mural Social Club project, integrating contemporary art into urban environments.