If it were not for life in China, I would not do what I do now. China inspired me, but it took me a few years of self-reflection to recognize its exact influence upon me.

I grew up in a mid-sized city in Western Ukraine. A city where every centimeter of space mattered as everything was either limited or unavailable — canvases, materials, studios. 

The art represented in local museums and art shops (we did not have galleries at that time) was done using heavy oil paint. It suited the old city's aesthetics, which were a mix of European and Soviet heritage, with its massive sculptures on buildings' facades in warm colors. 

That surrounding influenced me and my artistic expression. While studying art in a local college, all my dreams were in heavy oil paint in warm colors.


Comparison 1
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
120x120 cm
2014



Comparison 2
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
120x120 cm
2014



During my first few years in China, my hometown's influence followed me, but it too slowly began to dissipate with the experience of the new city.

In Beijing, the sizes of the canvases were as impressive as the size of the capital itself. The availability of it was not an issue, and the space of the artist's studio could be filled with any sort of art and still have free room left over for new experiments.

The color of the contemporary buildings, Chinese ink, and hints of tradition left on Beijing's streets gave one’s imagination more room to explore new possibilities. Beijing’s different contrasts were unlike anything that I had experienced in Ukraine.

The duality of my past and my new future gave me a push to try something new and explore beyond my earlier boundaries.



Movement
中國墨 鋼筆 美術紙
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
89x89 cm
2014


"The only thing I know is that I know nothing."

This idea of Socrates finds expression in Buddhism and in ancient Oriental culture. It further gave me the strength to embrace this new religion and give myself the space and time to understand it at my own pace.

I accepted that I had time to learn, and that sooner or later, I will learn more about it, either by direct study or through meeting people and situations in life.

This notion often confuses people because when they discover that I am a Buddhist, they expect me to know all the Buddhist mantras and stories and that I pray daily.

I think this judgment is false. Knowledge does not always bring you beliefs, and beliefs do not necessarily bring you knowledge.



Perspective of invisible 2
中國墨 鋼筆 美術紙
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
66x66 cm
2014



Perspective of invisible 1
中國墨 鋼筆 美術紙
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
66x66 cm
2014


 

We all have our way, and after years of thinking and putting meanings together, I discovered the difficult part, that my way is balancing in between.

Between the colors, feelings, traditions, cultures, nationalities. I believe that extremes do not work anymore. Old ways do not work anymore.
As we are a society that can choose and combine, multiply choices by creating something new. We combine cultures, religions, pieces of knowledge, aesthetics, jobs, interests, and yet we still need a definition of what is our religion, what is our belief, what is our nationality.

I don’t practice daily meditation in its classic way and do not repeat prayers thousands of times. But I create hundreds of lines per day, each morning, which is my way to meditate. Making my way is not denying Buddha, but is finding my balance between and discovering new ways that are right for me. And being a student of this life.

How can we understand the world and what is beyond, without understanding something that is the closest to us, which is ourselves?



Contradiction
中國墨 鋼筆 美術紙
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
110x66 cm
2014



You
中國墨 鋼筆 美術紙
Chinese ink, Nib pen, Paper
89x89 cm
2014




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〈In Between ｜Alëna Olasyuk〉

​​​​​​​〈Chiseling the light with ink ｜ The marvelous creation of nature〉