Ksenija
Koloskova

Ksenija Koloskova is a contemporary watercolor artist. She expresses her ideas through the prism of realistic subjects, letting the color and light guide the viewer into the realm of emotions, memories and dreams. Traveling extensively, often by herself, has taught her to connect to cities in a very personal way, making architecture one of her favorite subjects. She frequently uses frontal composition, as if painting a portrait of a building or a group of buildings. She paints the cities not as they are today — or as they ever existed — but as they live in her recollections intertwined with fantasies and daydreams. This is achieved by combining representation and abstraction. Realistic elements allow the viewers to recognize the place and connect to it. But details are often missing or vague, as if pained from a hazy memory. Using watercolor in both transparent and opaque ways accentuates the contrast between dark and light and gives her cityscapes a more ambiguous look, when one starts to doubt what is real and what is imaginary. Colors are used to express emotions — from neutral ochres and grays to calm blues to vocal reds. Ksenija was born in Moscow, Russia in 1985. She moved to study abroad at the age of 22 and has been a wanderer since then. She showed interest in art since an early age, but out of practical considerations initially chose a different career path. Once life brought her to Italy, she rediscovered her passion for painting which she cherished ever since. Ksenija later specialized in watercolor and printmaking at The Art League school in Alexandria, VA, USA, where she first started exhibiting her work in group shows. She also studied under several acknowledged watercolor artists, including Joseph Zbukvic, Susan Abbott, and others. Ksenija is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland. Her work is in private collections across Europe and the U.S., and has been admitted to juried shows worldwide.