STAMFORD, Conn. – Ukrainian folk art is not only beauty and richness; it carries a unique code that has come down over the centuries in the ancient symbolism of ornaments and colors.
In her colorful collection “Code U. Related Millenniums,” Ukrainian American artist Oksana Tanasiv demonstrates her own fascination with folk art. Taking its patterns from a decorative context, the author zooms in on them as if under a magnifying glass, analyzes their rhythms, harmony and encrypted messages of their ancestors. She translates them into the language of contemporary art.
At first glance, the geometric compositions exhibited at the Ukrainian Museum and Library in Stamford, Conn., are simple, but made in sophisticated copyright techniques. Ms. Tanasiv experimented with different materials, adding to a painting a collage, printed inserts, graphic elements and sheets of gold or silver foil. The artist encourages the viewer to consider the details of the work, to read the ornament scheme, to find and decipher ancient symbols, some of which are from the Trypillia culture that existed in Ukraine more than 5,000 years ago.
Ms. Tanasiv was born in Ukraine’s Ternopil region. In 2004, she immigrated to the United States and has since been involved in professional artistic activities. She participates in many group and solo exhibitions, including international art shows, gallery exhibitions and creative events, and collaborates with galleries and museums in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The curator of the project is Anna Perekhodko, art expert and curator of the Department of Fine Arts and Educational Programs of the Ukrainian Museum and Library in Stamford. The exhibit is on view through November 2.
The museum is located at 161 Glenbrook Road, Stamford, CT 06902; telephone, 203-939-7163. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m.