My Project On Finding Hope And Purpose In Our Work During The Pandemic

A week into “sheltering in place” amidst the sense of fear, chaos, and awe at how suddenly life was changing completely. I experienced a tidal wave of creative energy that has erupted into a prolific and evolving series that has grown to over 100 pieces over recent months. It all started with a discarded record collection I brought home. I might use them to explore work in 3d... But when we locked down, I started painting. This work is visceral and explores feelings and images surrounding the pandemic and thoughts on hope, natural beauty, and finding solace. Some days a piece is inspired by a hummingbird that paid a visit, the glimmering sunshine, children’s laughter, or news of fires burning outside Chernobyl. As a painter of icons, I gravitate toward methodical working and delight in structure and precepts that give the work context. As I worked, a realization became ever clearer: we are in profound need of the sacred at this moment in history.

The pieces were inspired by mandalas, which are often employed to aid mediation and provide sacred space. Using these forms as the starting point, I share my personal reflections exploring our current physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state. Their geometries represent the cosmos or a time microcosm of the universe, or a model for the structure of life itself. I take comfort in the fact that it is said that creating mandalas helps stabilize and re-order inner life. We could all use a little more of that right now. We are all witnessing how the daily threat changes our behaviors and affects us both practically and emotionally.

I'm a contemporary artist whose work fascinates with color and pattern while adapting forms assimilated from ancient traditions. My early training included Byzantine Iconographer Petro Cholodny, the Younger, exposing me to traditional, ancient painting methods in egg tempera and bringing me closer to her Ukrainian roots. I also hold a BA in Painting from Sarah Lawrence, an MFA from Bard College, and studied Byzantine Art History at Oxford University.

Today, I'm always adapting and innovating her work to engage modern audiences in new ways using unusual materials and a focus on universal symbols with cross-cultural references. Mythologies have always been a point of fascination for me, as these stories and symbols resonate with diverse peoples and help make sense of the world we live in. My work has been widely exhibited, including such venues as the Museum of Biblical Art, The National Cathedral, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, Union Theological Seminary, The Ukrainian Museum in New York, The Museum of Cultural Heritage (Kyiv, Ukraine), the American Embassy in Qatar, as well as at the White House. My works reside in private and museum collections in the US and abroad. I maintain an active studio in New Jersey, where she welcomes commissions. To see more of my work and especially this collection, please visit my website.