Karaffa-Korbut, Sofiia

Karaffa-Korbut, Sofiia [Караффа-Корибут, Софія], b 23 August 1924 in Lviv, d 29 November 1996 in Lviv. Graphic artist. A graduate of the Lviv Institute of Applied and Decorative Art (1953) and a student of Roman Selsky and Vitold Manastyrsky, she specialized in printmaking and book illustrations. Her favorite technique was the linocut. Her works include colored linocuts such as Verkhovyna Spring (1962) and Fairy Tale (1963), based on Lesia Ukrainka’s Lisova pisnia (The Forest Song); a series of prints based on Taras Shevchenko’s historical poems (1963–6); linocut illustrations to Ivan Franko’s poem ‘Ivan Vyshensky’ and novelette Boryslav smiiet’sia (Boryslav Is Laughing, 1964–5); and illustrations for many children's books. Combining elements of modern art and folk art, she was one of the most talented and original graphic artist.s in Ukraine of her generation, and a worthy continuator of the Lviv graphic art school founded by Pavlo Kovzhun and Mykola Butovych.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 2 (1988).]