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My artist journey really started in the latter half of 2019 when my family and I moved from New York City to Seattle. I had made art every now and then since I was a child, but much of my adult life in NYC was too busy with full-time work, multiple start-ups, and raising young kids to leave room for creative expression. After the move, life became much quieter. The start-ups failed, my friendship with our co-founder ended in heartbreak, and then the pandemic descended upon us all.

In the silence that followed, I started to see beauty in dry weeds. Every plant is special and beautiful to me, but I have a particular attraction to a yellowed, feathery fern or gnarled, twisty vine. I began to collect bundles wherever I went, especially when traveling. One bundle came from a bleak English landscape in November. Another from Siberia near my in-laws favorite camping spots. We were driving along and happened to come upon these vast, dry plains of grass. I was dumbstruck.
My family eventually had to drive off and leave me to frenzied collecting. Eventually, they came back to pick me up. To my mother-in-laws dismay, I had an armful of what looked like worthless weeds and a determination to fly with them all the way back to Seattle.

more » “Tanya Ostromogilskaya’s Artist Journey”

Q: How did you choose your partners in the tarot project?

A: Like all my Dreams & Divinities projects, this happened organically. Initially, the idea of making a collective deck had been discussed with artists Carrie Ann Baade and Michel Bassot, but I wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Having just wrapped up the Fernal Encyclopedia project with nearly 120 artists, the next project called for something more intimate. The answer came when artist Martina Hoffmann approached me with the proposition of writing a book for a Tarot deck she intended to make. It was decided then and there to create a small collective deck with all four artists. Unfortunately, Michel fell ill and was unable to finish the cards.

Thus, a replacement had to be found, and four other female artists were chosen to join the deck. The decision was made after careful consideration and discussion with Martina and Carrie to ensure that everyone felt comfortable with the new Taroistas.

more » “Liba Interview on Tarot”

On Saturday, April 22^nd, downtown Los Angeles’ Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) will proudly present their next major solo show, Ephemeral Existence, from Japanese oil painter Mayuka Yamamoto in the Main Gallery.

Yamamoto is widely recognized as one of Japan’s leading second-generation contemporary artists, whose works depict children sporting animal features and enigmatic expressions. The artist’s oil paintings often appear reticent and introspective. The emotions of the child characters in Yamamoto’s works, or “animal boys” as she often calls them, are meant to be a mystery to the viewer. more » “Mayuka Yamamoto Ephemeral Existence”

Q: I have heard you say that you sing because there are so many others who can’t. Can you tell us what that means?

A: As an Iranian woman raised during the reign of the oppressive regime of Iran, women in particular were stripped of many basic and fundamental human rights including the right to sing, perform and record music. This unjust continues today. Had I still been living there I would not even begin to dream of having any kind of singing career, let alone of such innovative musical explorations. Many women both older and younger than me have no such hope and so every note I sing on stage is in remembrance and acknowledgement of their lack of freedom. Of course sadly this is not restricted to Iran as oppression of women is nothing new. Even after living in Canada all my adult life I have not fully gotten used to how free I am really to explore my dreams.

Q: Trauma and a need for a safe environment hinders many women in your country from perusing the arts. Can you tell us about the challenges they face?

A: In Iran, often being a woman is enough to make one a target, regardless of what a woman is wearing; how old she is; what her level of education is; what her social status is or what she does for a living. Now add to this toxic mixture the desire to be a performer, a trendsetter, an explorer in the arts and you are then definitely asking for it: to be harassed and accused of bogus charges including spreading immorality in the Iranian society. more » “Interview with the Artist Farnaz”

Handle With Care show opens Saturday, October 29^th from 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm in Gallery 3, alongside a solo show from Brandi Milne, titled Everything I Ever Was, in the Main Gallery.

Nicoletta Ceccoli’s paintings explore how childlike wonder and innocence can curdle into emotional turmoil and darkness. The artist’s paintings invite you into a magical and wonderful world where role reversal and the blurring of lines between good and evil remind us there is not as fine a line as we often suspect between who’s good, who’s bad, and who’s afraid. Known for her richly detailed, dreamlike work, Ceccoli has described her work as attempting to “offer a delectable balance of repulsive and attractive.”

more » “‘Handle With Care’ – Nicoletta Ceccoli’s Solo Show”