About Kateryna Bilokur
Kateryna Vasylivna Bilokur (Ukrainian: Катерина Василівна Білокур; December 7 [O.S. November 24] 1900 – 9 June 1961) was a Ukrainian folk artist, painter and poet born in the Poltava Governorate. After an unpromising start, her works became known in the late 1930s and 1940s for their interest in nature. Her paintings have become famous for depictions of peasant life among Ukrainian women,. Above all it was Bilokur's flowers done in oil on canvas which brought her general recognition, with critics noting, "[s]he sees the souls of flowers." Bilokur was named People's Artist of Ukraine in 1951. Numerous sources report a popular legend that Pablo Picasso saw Bilokur's work exhibited in Paris and commented, "[i]f we had an artist of this level, we would make the whole world talk about her." == Biography == She was born on 24 November (7 December), 1900 in the village Bohdanivka. At the age of 6 or 7, Bilokur learned to read. Her family decided not to send her to school, to save money on shoes and clothes. She started drawing from a young age, though her parents frowned upon this hobby and wouldn't permit her do it. Bilokur continued drawing secretly, using old rags and coal.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.