Roksolana

I am a third generation Russian artist in my family following in my father and grandfather's footsteps. Throughout my childhood I was surrounded by paints, brushes, pencils and all other materials that were available for me to use anytime I needed a toy. My father was a great motivation for me to start studying art professionally and in 1992 I was accepted to the most prestigious Fine Art School in Russia, V.I. Surikov State Academic Institute of Fine Arts where I was awarded a Master of Fine Arts in 1997. Since then I’ve worked with watercolors, pastel, pen & ink, acrylic, but my favorite media has always been oil. One of the main subjects in my art explores human psychology; emotions and feelings between man and woman, mother and child, friends and competitors. I also paint landscapes as I think nature is one of the most inspiring forces that can bring beauty and balance into our busy modern lifestyles. I think I have an innate understanding of nature's influence on humans as I was born in the breathtaking area of the Caucasus Mountains in Russia. I left my motherland many years ago but those sceneries of nature in its absolute splendor remain a lifelong inspiration for me. I have always been fascinated by Mythology. Creatures and characters of a fantasy world described for centuries in stories and legends found their portrayal in many of my images from several of my painting series. I live, work and create while welcoming the polarities of life: the bitter sweet sensations of lost and found happiness, the heroic spirit that comes with gentle fragility, the magnificence and humble beauty of all these opposites that lead to balance and harmony of life.