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About the Artist
I have had a rewarding career in fine arts, encompassing international awards and works in private and public collections. I hold a Master of Art degree in art history, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing - plus, a certificate in pre-press desktop publishing and Mac-based computer graphics. When I was small, my parents sent me to a ballet school, which was later followed by five years of private lessons in operatic bel canto, with prof. Stanisław Dąbkowski.
Currently, my art practice includes a variety of traditional and digital mediums, privileging acrylics on canvas or wood that stems from my earlier interest in egg tempera. I am attracted to acrylic paints for their water soluble, opaque properties that offer me freedom to layer colours more quickly.
My language of visualization often draws on the legacy of Surrealism, where fantasy and pastiche play an integral part. Whether in paintings, drawings or lithographs, the technique applied privileges the narrative of the line; a style of calculated precision that aims at conveying a story. As Andre Breton once said about the movement, my 'impulsive' imagination is informed by my subconscious mind (Manifesto, 1924). In a gallery environment, my often small in size works acquire a unique relationship with the viewers, revealing themselves more intimately at closer inspection.
I am also proficient in traditional printmaking techniques, such as etching (aquaforte and aquatint), woodcut and lithography (hand-pulled off limestone tablet), but recent equipment access restrictions limited my output.
Digital photography has enabled me to experience a deeper sense of the mystery that lies within the wealth of nature’s diversity, coupled with my innate sense of curiosity about life, where the unexpected, the hidden, and the playful can be perceptively revealed through aesthetically re-purposed vintage objects, architectural elements, and nature inspired by Pennsylvania’s heritage.
Exceptional work
Created during the Pandemic lock-downs "Innocence Lost" narrates the psychological implications of life in isolation, and was chosen to be part of the ART OF THE STATE exhibit at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, where over 1,915 works were submitted for the jury consideration and only 86 were selected. The four-month exhibition ran from September 10, 2023 to January 7, 2024.
AWARDS
2023
• FIRST PLACE in ACRYLIC for painting "Nocturne" awarded by the Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) at the 48th Annual International Miniature Art Show, held at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, FL.
• THIRD PLACE in PORTRAITURE (the John Thompson Memorial Award) for miniature painting "Chapeau a la Mode," awarded by the awarded by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC (MPSGS) at their 90th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, held at the Mansion at Strathmore Museum in North Bathesda, MD.
• FRIST PLACE in MACRO for nature photograph of water lily, awarded by the Carbon County Environmental Education Center at their "America the Beautiful" Photography Contest.. Summit Hill, PA.
2022
• FIRST PLACE in PORTRAITURE for miniature painting "Oliver" awarded by the Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) at the 47th Annual International Miniature Art Show, held at the Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, FL.
• THIRD PLACE in PORTRAITURE (the John Thompson Memorial Award) for miniature painting "Afternoon Tea" at the 89th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, awarded by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC (MPSGS), held at the Mansion at Strathmore Museum in North Bathesda, MD.
• Finalist for THE VENICE ART BIENNALE 2022, as one of ten international artists whose works were selected by the jury to be displayed at the Tana Art Space in Venice, Italy, during the 59th edition of the Venice Art Biennale. My painting "Fragile Assertion" was showcased to a multitude of international visitors from May 1 to July 31, 2022. The Biennale is one of the largest and most important cultural events in the world dedicated to showcasing contemporary visual art in its many forms.
2021
FIRST PLACE in ACRYLIC for miniature painting "Destiny" awarded by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC (MPSGS) at the 88th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature. Held at the Mansion at Strathmore Museum in North Bathesda, MD.
2020
SECOND PLACE in ACRYLIC (the Janet Treacy Award) for miniature portrait “Sophie” awarded by the Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) at the 45th Annual International Miniature Art Show, awarded and held at the Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin.
2018
THIRD PLACE in PORTRAITURE (the John Thompson Memorial Award) for miniature painting “Serenity” awarded by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC (MPSGS) at the 85th International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature. Event held at the Mansion at Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD.
2021
Interviewed on the USA Public Television Blue Ridge Cable 13 (BRC13 TV). Carbon County, PA, covering my solo art exhibition at the Dimmick Memorial Library in Jim Thorpe, PA.
2018
Interviewed on the USA Public Television Blue Ridge Cable 13 (BRC13 TV). Carbon County, PA, during the opening reception of my solo art exhibition at the Dimmick Memorial Library in Jim Thorpe, PA.
2014
Painting "That Fleeting Moment Captured" was shortlisted to only 4,000 semi-finalists out of 12,000 international applicants by the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London, UK, for the prestigious International Annual Summer Art Exhibition held at the RA since the 1700s.
Surrealist Legacy
My language of visualization often draws on the legacy of Surrealism, where fantasy and pastiche play an integral part.
My whimsical narrative isdesigned to unsettle and transgress boundaries.
The Oracle
Small format work 6"x6".
Acrylic on cradled wood
This painting is part of my “Performative Identities” series. As a surreal human/animal hybrid, it portrays a Priestess uttering the prediction.
In ancient times, Oracles were thought to be portals through which the gods spoke directly to people; their powers were highly sought after and never doubted.
MMXX - Disquiet Earth
Acrylic on Canvas 20" x 16"
Work symbolically articulates my feelings about a world of darkening skies, forever changed by the global pandemic in 2020.
Menacing clouds indicate an Earth in distress; disquieted and motionless,
as if a pause-button has activated a perpetual stillness. Only the natural world thrives, freed from human interference. The old fashioned spectacles precariously perched at the edge of the shelf symbolize our most vulnerable and hard hit population,.
The Judge
Small format work 6"x6".
Acrylic on cradled wood.
Work express the quality of wise perception accumulated through life experiences, mixed with an intimidating power of the high position.
In the ancient Greek mythologies, there were three Judges presiding over human shadows entering the mythical kingdom of the dead called Hades. One of them was Aiakos, a part-human and part-divine individual, famous in life for being just. Upon his dead, Aiakos was granted the position of the Guardian-of-the-keys to Hades as a reward for establishing law and order on earth.
Destiny
Miniature 4"x4".
Acrylic on Masonite Board
Reflecting on life's mysteries that unfold before us, uncertain where the path leads.
FIRST PLACE in ACRYLIC at the 88th International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, awarded by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society
of Washington, DC (MPSGS). 2021
The Parity of Values
Acrylic on Canvas. 12" x 16"
Painting narrates the wisdom of keeping balance between materialistic, worldly aspects of life... and non-material, non tangible values.
The Huntress
Acrylic on Solid Wood Board 14" x 11"
Inspired by a mythical deity Artemis,
the huntress personifies the idea of nature as a life force, which manifests itself often in conquest, and in the practice of hunting. Artemis’s vital power can bring forth new life as much as it can destroy it.
The 4th of July
Acrylic on Masonite Board 12" x 9"
The idea was to weave a historic event into contemporary times and realities in a dreamy-like narrative to suggest an unfinished, ongoing dialogue.
Strip
Acrylic on Masonite Board 9" x 12"
The peeling back of the face's outer
layer reveals symbolically a stark
contrast between one's public persona and the concealed, true self - the projected serenity versus inner turmoil.
Innocence Lost
Acrylic on Canvas 20" x 16"
Work narrates the psychological implications of life in isolation, the cognitive anxiety and the bewilderment of it all - as globally experienced during the Pandemic lock-downs.
Work was part of the prestigious "ART OF THE STATE 2023" exhibit at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. 1,915 works were submitted for consideration and only 86 were accepted for the show. Sept. 10, 2023 - Jan. 7th, 2024
Professor Dapper
Acrylic on Canvas 12" x 16"
Work connotes the idea of looking neat and trim in appearance, very spruce and stylish, alert and lively in manners… a chic man.
Painting inspired by one of my university professors, known to be a particularly sharp dresser
Fragile Assertion
Acrylic on Masonite Board 8.5"x11.5"
Wrestling with the conscience, this surreal take on female Hamlet alludes to a person caught between hesitation, fear and determination.
Work was displayed at the Tana Art Space in Venice, Italy, during the 59th edition of Venice Art Biennale in2022 - one of Europe's most prestigious cultural events.
Great Spirit Rising
Acrylic on Canvas 16"x12"
The subject matter deals with environmental issues such as pollution and our stewardship of the earth.
Inspired by the Indigenous peoples believes that the day of nature's retribution is coming when Great Spirit reclaims its hold on the earth.
The 3rd of May
Acrylic on Masonite Board 10" x 12"
A surrealist homage to the Spanish painter Francesco Goya.
Incorporated into the woman’s fan is a fragment of Goya's famous painting "The 3rd of May" which references a significant event in Spanish history during Napoleonic wars.
Penelope
Acrylic on Masonite Board 12" x 8.5"
The scene depicts a tender moment of meeting between Odysseus and Penelope after twenty years of being apart. Both much older now and life-weary, Odysseus tenderly touches Penelope's hand in a gesture of greeting and an assurance of time-tested love.
In Homer's Odyssey, Penelope was the wife of the king Odysseus who was one of the Greek rulers participating in the Trojan War.
Noblesse Oblige
Acrylic on Masonite Board 8.5" x 12"
Inspired by Piero di Cosimo's portrait of Simonetta Vespucci (1490), and the idea of 'privilege'. This surrealistic half-bird portrait is designed in a shape of a letter "S" to indicate Success. Various props, starting from the bottom up, allude to the way it was achieved (from poor to riches) as a satirical commentary.
Inspiration
Miniature. Acrylic on wood 3.5" x 2.5",
Painting narrates the idea of creative inspiration, perfectly described by Jean-Jacques Rousseau: The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.
Figurative Compositions
and Portraits
I am attracted to acrylic paints for their water soluble, opaque properties that offer the freedom to layer colours more quickly. In a gallery environment, my often small in size works acquire a unique relationship with the viewers, revealing themselves more intimately
at closer inspection.
Waiting for the Sunset
Oil on linen canvas 36"x32"
It's late afternoon at the market and the sun is finally casting its long shadows. An elderly woman and her little companion look forward to the evening's end. The girl holds a mysterious, golden key in her hand, alluding perhaps to the ancient past and her proud heritage of the Incas.
Fortune Teller
Acrylic on Masonite Board 8" x 11"
My grandmother Theo was an exceptional woman, who painted watercolors, played piano and studied philosophy, however in her spare time, she liked to entertain her friends with a bit of fortune telling-telling just for fun, hence the painting's title..
Chapeau à la Mode
Miniature 4"x4".
Acrylic on Masonite Board
A whimsical commentary on fashion trends.
Awarded THIRD PLACE in PORTRAITURE by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC (MPSGS) at their the 90th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature. 2023
Self-portrait à la Camille Claudel
Miniature 2.5" x 2.5"
Acrylic on Wood.
Touched by Bruno Nuytten's film "Camille Claudel" I decided to pay a small homage of my own to the tragic, 19th century French sculptor. I depicted myself as a bohemian, working-class woman wearing an original velour hat with feathers (circa 1900), and a period dress borrowed from a theatre.. My self-portrait is dedicated to all those wonderful, 19th century women who dared to be artists, defied society, and aspired to be equal to men.
Serenity
Miniature.3.5" x 2.5"
Acrylic on Wood.
Miniature portrait of my mother against the picturesque Lehigh Gorge vista near Jim Thorpe, PA.
Awarded THIRD PLACE in PORTRAITURE (the John Thompson Memorial Award) bythe Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC at their 85th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, October 2018.
Gentleman In Green Jacket
Miniature 3,5" x 4.75"
Acrylic on Masonite Board
A portrait of a pipe smocking man, dressed in a silk jacket circa 1778.
Miss Bourden
Acrylic on Wood. 4" x 6"
Commissioned graduation portrait.
Ceres
Miniature 4"x4".
Acrylic on Masonite Board.
Inspired by the ancient mythologies and personal reverence of nature,
"Ceres" alludes to the Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture. Painted to evoke an ancient mural, the colors are muted, and set against dark background. Work alsonarrates the mythical dimension of women, "elevating our perception of the magical and transformative power of the feminine."
That Fleeting Moment Captured
Acrylic on Masonite Board 9" x 12"
The painting's title alludes to the
fleeting and temporal characteristics of the modern. The 'now' is restless and ever transient in urban environments.
This work was Shortlisted to only 4,000 semi-finalists out of 12,000 international applicants by the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London, UK for their 248th Annual Summer Art Exhibition held by the RA since the 1700s.
Magic Butterflies
Miniature 4"x4". Framed 6"x6"
Acrylic on Masonite board
It evokes a sense of innocence and child's dreams.
Nocturne
Miniature 4"x4".
Acrylic on ClayBoard
Inspired by a piano recital, this work
is about music and its atmospheric projections of sounds, tones and acoustics.
Awarded FIRST PLACE in ACRYLIC at the 48th Annual International Miniature Art Exhibition held at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, FL, by the Miniature Art Society of Florida. 2023.
In the Absence of a Dream
Acrylic on Masonite Board 12.5" x 10"
This work narrates the spirit of hope and percerverance against all odds, and where determination and refusal to allow the reality of one's circumstances to overshadow future possibilities.
Au Revoir
Miniature. 4"x4"
Acrylic on Masonite Board
Work was inspired by the splendor of Venetian Carnival and music by a Venetian composer Vivaldi. It narrates the Baroque era's elegant way of greeting or saying goodbye by gesturing/touching the tip of one's hat - as portrayed here…
Sophie
Miniature 3.5" x 4.5"
Acrylic on Wood .
Sophie is wearing a traditional Polish folk costume from the region of Łowicz. Model's face is under 0.5" long.
Awarded SECOND PLACE in ACRYLIC (the Janet Treacy Award) by the Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) at the 45th Annual International Miniature Art Exhibition.2020.
Afternoon Tea
Miniature. 4"x4"
Acrylic on Masonite Board
The idea behind this miniature portrait of Dee Dasher was to capture the richness of textures and the overall atmosphere of Victorian lifestyle.
Awarded THIRD PLACE in PORTRAITURE by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC (MPSGS) at the 89th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature. 2022.
Oliver
Miniature 4"x4".
Acrylic on Masonite Board
Study in chiaroscuro. Awarded
FIRST PLACE in PORTRAITURE
by the Miniature Art Society of Florida at their 47th Annual International Miniature Art Exhibition. Event was held at the Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, FL. 2022
Joan
Miniature 2.5" x 2.5"
Acrylic on Wood.
Portrait of a friend from Toronto, ON.
Self-portrait à la Holbein
Tempera on Wood. 8" x 10"
I portrayed myself here as Anne
of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIII, by carefully copying Anne's dress from the portrait done by Hans Holbein in 1539.
Over the years, I have done many copies of old masters, and the experience has proved invaluable.
Eurydice
Miniature 4"x4".
Acrylic on Masonite Board.
Painting symbolically depicts a moment of Eurydice’s hopeful departure from the darkness into the light, opening the curtain of hope as she follows Orpheus' footsteps…
According to the ancient Greek myth, bitten by a snake while dancing, beautiful Eurydice descended into the world of the dead ruled by Hades. Grief stricken, Orpheus decided to risk descending into the underworld himself in search of his beloved wife, all the while playing his lyre so heartbreakingly alluringly that King Hades was moved with compassion and agreed that Eurydice would be allowed to go back to the land of the living.
Drawings
The technique applied privileges the narrative of the line; a style of calculated precision that aims at conveying a story.
Breaking Out
Fine art lithograph hand-pulled off limestone tablet
The idea of leaving, sometimes forcefully, a place, situation or a state
of mind that confines one to misery or discomfort. Finding a way out through a psychological or sometimes physical strain.
Inspired by David Bowie’s music.
Between Dream and Reality
Fine art lithograph hand-pulled off limestone tablet
The world of fashion industry and its culture of make-believe is interpreted here as a contemporary Pygmalion story. The artist falls in love with his/her own creation.
Tête-à-tête with Botticelli
Pen and India Ink on Paper
This drawing is a humorous take on the realities of contemporary, representational art forever indebted
to and dwarfed by the legacy of great masters, alluding to the performative aspects of one's identity and how it transcends contemporary aesthetics.
Inspired by Botticelli's work circa 1480,
Ophelia
Fine art lithograph hand-pulled off limestone tablet
This work was inspired by "Hamlet."
Her name is Ophelia, a Danish noblewoman who was a potential love interest of Prince Hamlet, the heir to the throne of Denmark. Ophelia is portrayed here as a doomed heroine destined for madness. Yet, she is also the epitome of goodness and purity. Loved and sheltered by her father all her life, Ophelia's frailty and innocence works against her in the end, when faced with traumatic events.
Bitter Taste of Almond
Pencil Drawing on Paper
A humorous take on savoir-vivre, and one's ability to meet every situation in life with poise and elegance.
Julia
Fine art lithograph hand-pulled off limestone tablet
A study of light and dark.
Lithography is a laborious technique introduced in Germany in 1796 and today practiced primarily by fine art printmakers.
Jealousy
Pen and India Ink on Paper
It's no fun to feel envy because such
a emotion makes one feel inadequate.
In Shakespeare, Othello was doomed by jealousy, and King Lear by his pride; while a professional jealousy often tortures artists. This drawing illustrates an intensity of emotion with transformative quality for a person afflicted. There is rage, passion and vulnerability, tangled in one massive emotional confinement.
Allegory of Woman
Fine art lithograph hand-pulled off limestone tablet
There is something disturbing about this matrix of bones, cartilage and flesh, all swathed tightly together by layers of cloth. A construct emerges of a young female, upright and defiant, whose seemingly sweet smile is juxtaposed against the constraints of her body, superficially content, she betrays a concealed turmoil..
Opera Singer
Pen and India Ink on Paper
Work draws on the legacy of Surrealism, where fantasy and pastiche play an integral part in deconstructing the performative aspects of celebrity identity.
Siren
Pen & India Ink Drawing
Sirens were generally described as a combination of woman and bird - a winged creature in ancient Greek mythologies, whose singing lured unwary sailors onto rocks in order to enslave them.
Today, the term is in use to describe a woman whom men find irresistibly attractive, a kind of femme fatale.
Digital Media
Digital photography has enabled me to experience a deeper sense of the mystery that lies within the wealth of nature’s diversity, coupled with my innate sense of curiosity about life, where the unexpected, the hidden, and the playful can be perceptively revealed. Foremost, my photographs explore the atmospheric properties of light and shadow in relation to objects' color and texture.
Photography
Candlelight Reflections
Heirloom 1
Vintage Blue 1
Heirlooms Reflecting Back
TheRed Glow
Scholar's Attic
Scholar's Attic 2
Niagara Falls in Winter
Summer Bouquet
Summer Harvest
Photomontage
Castaway Muse
Dreams and Delusions
Exhibits
2024
- ArtExpo Basel 3.0. Basel International Airport. July 13 - 16
- The 33rd Juried International Miniature Art Show.
The Seaside Gallery. Nags Head, NC. May 4 - June 1 - The 32nd Invitational Exhibition of Fine Art Miniatures from Around the World.
The Snow Goose Gallery, Bethlehem, PA. May 5 - June 15 - Cipriarte Gallery. Venice, Italy. During Biennale d’Arte di Venezia. April 2 - 29.
- Andakulova Gallery. Dubai, UAE. March 1 - 31
- Casa Del Arte. Palma, Mallorca. Spain. March 1 - 31
- Thomson Gallery. Zug, Switzerland. February 2 - 29
- Andie Art Gallery. Athens, Greece. January 2 - 31
2023
- The 90th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature.
The Mansion at Strathmore Museum. North Bethesda, MD.
November 18/2022 - January 13, 2023 - The 48th Annual International Miniature Art Show..
The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. Tarpon Springs, FL. January 15, 2023 - February 5 - Soho Gallery.. Manhattan, NY. During NY Artexpo. April 17 - 26
- Swiss Art Expo. SBB Event Hall. Zurich, Switzerland. September 6 - 10
- 18th Annual Heartland Art Guild International Miniature Painters & Sculptors Art Show. Miami County Historical Museum.. Paola, Kansas. July 3 - 28
- The 32nd Juried International Miniature Art Show.
The Seaside Gallery. Nags Head, NC. April 29 - May 31. - Johnathan Schultz Gallery. Miami, FL. May 1 - 31
- Carbon County Environmental Education Center.
America the Beautiful Photography Contest. Summit Hill, PA.. March 1 - 31 - Casa Del Arte. Palma, Mallorca. Spain. November 1 - 31
- Thomson Gallery. Zug, Switzerland. October 1 - 30
2022
- Tana Art Space. Venice, Italy. During Biennale d’Arte di Venezia. May 1 - July 30
- Swiss Art Expo. Zürich, Switzerland. The SBB Event Hall. August 24 - 28
- The 89th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature.
The Mansion at Strathmore Museum. North Bethesda, MD.
November 19/2022 - January 7, 2023 - Urbanside Gallery. Zürich, Switzerland. Jan 7 - March 31
- The 47th Annual International Miniature Art Show.
The Dunedin Fine Art Center. Dunedin, FL. January 15 - February 6
Education
Master of Art (M.A.) - OCAD University, Toronto. ON
Art History completed with distinction, Awarded the President's Scholarship for two consecutive years.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) - OCAD University, Toronto. ON
Painting, drawing and printmaking. Awarded the Eric Freifeld Scholarship for Excellence in Figure Draftsmanship.
Computer Graphics & Desktop Publishing - George Brown College (St. James Campus). Toronto, ON
Contacts
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