Toronto artist creates icons for Basilian Sisters' chapel in Rome (09/05/99)

Toronto artist creates icons for Basilian Sisters' chapel in Rome

by Oksana Zakydalsky

TORONTO - A recent visit to the studio of artist Sophia Lada was an almost spiritual experience. Along one wall of the studio hang panels of a 6-by-11-foot triptych, the central part a life-size rendering of the Oranta with arms uplifted - Mary the Protectress of All. To her right, three saints: the Venerable Mary of Egypt, St. Helene (mother of Emperor Constantine) and St. Mary Magdalen. To the left of the Oranta: the martyr St. Barbara, St. Olha the Great, princess of Kyiv, and St. Catherine of Alexandria. The triptych is destined for the chapel of the Mother House of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great in Rome.

Several years ago, the Sisters of St. Basil the Great approached Lada [who prefers to be called Lada - no Ms.] with a proposal to paint the walls of their chapel, which is located in an older building, a former villa adapted for the order's use, in the Avantino district of Rome. The Basilian Sisters were familiar with Lada's work as she had been artist-in-residence at Manor College in Philadelphia, which is run by the order.

The initial stage of the project involved a trip to Rome where Lada discussed with Mother Dia Stasiuk and the Basilian Sisters the selection of saints to be painted and made a plan of how to divide the walls of the chapel. Although the chapel is not large - 15 by 45 feet - it has a very high ceiling that gave the artist lots of space in which to work.

The Basilian Sisters wanted the iconography of the chapel to observe the canons of Byzantine ecclesiastical art; they helped choose the specific icons to be featured. The choice of colors was governed both by the fact that certain colors are attached to different saints and that colors have symbolic meanings of their own. Colors were chosen to evoke a spiritual response and to achieve a harmonious whole.

Where had Lada learned iconography? "The acclaimed iconographer Sviatoslav Hordynsky introduced me to the history of iconography. During the 1970s I assisted him in the execution of several church projects (for Munich and western Canada) in his style and technique. I learned a lot from him. It is unavoidable that, at the present time, his influence is visible in my work," Lada said.

Since the paintings were to be done in Toronto and had to be rolled up and transported to Rome, Lada chose to do them on canvas in acrylic paints. Traditional iconography is done in egg tempera for which a rigid surface is required. Canvas was also chosen because Aventino, where the chapel is located, is sometimes subject to earth tremors that can crack walls. Canvas is more flexible.

Part of the icons of the project have already been installed. They included the composition on the wall behind the altar with the Pantokrator (Enthroned Christ) surrounded by the Seraphim and symbols of the Four Evangelists. To his right is the Blessed Mother and Archangel Michael; to the left - St. John the Baptist and Archangel Gabriel. On the side walls are St. Macrina, the patron saint of the Basilian Sisters, and St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, fathers of the Church.

Lada went to Rome in the spring of 1998 to do the installation. The canvas was applied to the wall by a local craftsman; Lada painted the ornamentation and applied the goldleaf. She was assisted by Sister Selina also an iconographer.

The second phase is to be completed this October, with Lada again going to Rome to oversee the installation. In addition to the triptych, which will be put on one wall of the central part of the chapel, icon paintings of St. Nicholas the Great, Ss. Cyril and Methodius and the Grand Prince of Kyiv, St. Vladimir, will be installed. The back wall of the chapel, which includes the exit, will feature the Guardian Angels of Day and Night, whose depiction was inspired by the collection of daily prayers "Prayers for a Planetary Journey."

To make sure that the second phase of the icons matched the first, Lada said, "I made color samples from the icons already in Rome and matched them up. The second part of the project was easier to do than the first. At first, it was hard to envision the icons in their place. After the first installation, I knew what the colors would look like. That was the most challenging part of the project - not doing the work there, on site, and not being able to see the work as it progressed within the environment it was to go into."

With this years-long project nearing completion, Lada said, "This has been the biggest project that I have worked on independently. I am looking forward to doing my own work and preparing an exhibit, but it takes time to adjust. Doing iconography takes a specific frame of mind. It is altogether a different spiritual journey, because, as an artist, my work is mostly inspired by the culture of pre-Christian Ukraine. But I do apply certain principles of Byzantine art in composition and in the philosophy of inner light. This project has been a very rewarding experience because it has given me an opportunity to execute work which is a part of my heritage and personally to see the treasures of Rome and the surrounding cities of Italy."

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