Kateryna Bilokur was born on November 24, 1900, into the family of a prosperous farmer. Although she didn’t attend school, she taught herself to read and write. From a young age, she exhibited a natural talent for painting, yet her family did not support her artistic ambitions. Kateryna painted in secret and even attempted to apply to art schools in Myrhorod and Kyiv, though she was rejected due to her lack of formal education.

In 1940, she sent a letter to the singer Oksana Petrusenko, expressing gratitude for her songs and enclosing a drawing of guelder rose. Moved by Kateryna’s talent, Petrusenko shared her story with friends, which led the regional arts centre to seek her out. That same year, Kateryna held first exhibition in Poltava, where her paintings were met with tremendous success. In 1949, she became a member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine, and her works were acquired by museums. In 1956, her art was showcased in an exhibition in Paris, where it received enthusiastic praise, including admiration from Pablo Picasso. Kateryna Bilokur passed away on June 10, 1961, in her native village of Bohdanivka in Kyiv region where she had lived her entire life.