Vasily Lopata (born 1941) is a Ukrainian artist and novelist. He was born in the village Nova Basan, Chernihiv region. He graduated from the Kiev Art Institute (1970), where he studied in V. Kasyan's studio. He studied in the creative workshops of the USSR Academy of Arts under the direction of M. Deregus (1970-72). Member of the Union of Artists of the USSR (1971), National Union of Writers of Ukraine (2006), Laureate of the National Prize. T.G. Shevchenko (1993), People's Artist of Ukraine (2001). In collaboration with B. Maximov he designed the first Ukrainian hryvnia. Due to illness he moved to the USA (1994), where he lives and works to this day.