Russian-Ukrainian by birthright, I create art to turn fracture into archetypes—raw, defiant, tender - fracture becomes myth, shared empathy
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
I create mythmaking art—personal images transformed into universal archetypes. Inspired by Joseph Campbell, I turn identity, conflict, and duality into figures people recognize—the survivor, the rebel, the witness. My pieces carry beauty and fracture, translating experience into symbols. What matters is not what I felt, but what you see—something that meets you, reflects you, and invites a conversation of your own. That is true Empathy, you and I, you and They. Connection, Reality, Myth. L-O-V-E
Where do you find inspiration?If inspiration lived in a tidy drawer, I’d have labeled it and been done with it. It’s more like a feral roommate—tracking mud from memory, contradiction, beauty, and discomfort, eating my sleep, and yelling “make it” at 3 a.m. I don’t find it; it hijacks me and refuses to leave until it’s turned into something.
What would you do with $25,000?$25k? TACOS FOR THE HUNGRY. Feeding people is always my number one dream. NO HUNGER. I’d disappear into my studio like a myth gremlin—buy paint, fabrics, prints, lights, and just enough tacos, keepin' it honest. I'll keep creating relatable archetypes, wearable art, and a few beautiful mistakes. Maybe upgrade my tools, maybe not—I kind of like the grit. Mostly, I’d stretch it into stories you can wear, hang, and argue with. If anything’s left, I’ll buy more tacos for more folks and keep going.
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