To quote Henri Matisse, “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter – a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”

 

Unfortunately, with the world so troubling and tragic, it isn’t possible to stay away from depressing subject matter. When my birth country, Russia, invaded Ukraine, I felt like a piece of my soul was being rendered away, and I felt helpless. I created aesthetically pleasing work, which, at a closer look, revealed human suffering. I wanted this proximity to evoke hope, not despair, to give out strength. To bring light.