To Svetlana Sevostyanchik, an ideal world would be one without borders. The artist, who hails from Ukraine, is displaying her new pieces at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen from July 15 until Sept. 12. The exhibition features three periods of Sevostyanchik’s artistic life and include an array of abstract paintings, collages and a Guardian Angel series. Titled “I Have a Dream – A World Without Borders,” the exhibition stems from her love of traveling and visiting other countries and cultures. Through these travels, Sevostyanchik has immersed herself in each country’s culture and become passionate about borders and the importance of living in unison without them. The pieces include some of her personal favorites, such as a depiction of St. Andrew’s church in Kiev, Ukraine, her hometown. The collages, which normally take her one month to create, chronicle the story of influential people in countries she has visited. She holds a particular fondness for Great Britain, highlighting figures such as Margaret Thatcher, the Beatles and Charles Darwin. Her painting style, defined as Emotional Expressionism by the Academy of Arts of Ukraine, tells an emotional story with intensive saturation and unexpected object placement. She aims to display the spiritual depth of the subject, with perfect harmony between nature and person, and experiences each creation like it is a part of her soul.
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It’s like my own baby,” she said of her artwork. Sevostyanchik dedicated a few of her pieces to Ukraine, including the “Angel Guardian Ukraine” and has completed eight international exhibitions in both Kiev and Lviv, Ukraine, as well as one other in the United States. Her affinity for painting has been lifelong and encouraged by her grandmother, who supported her passion.
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I was born and I wanted to paint everywhere,” Sevostyanchik said of her early childhood hobby. But the artist’s path took a different direction – she studied chemistry in college and pursued a career in science until 15 years ago when she asked herself what she was doing with her life. It wasn’t until then that she realized her passion lies in creating art and teaching others through art. Sevostyanchik, who is considered to be among the greatest artists in Ukraine, never has painted with the goal of receiving accolades; instead, she hopes that her pieces will bring people joy and educate the beholder. Svetlana Sevostyanchik's "Angel Guardian" is among her works on display at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. (Courtesy CACGA)
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If the people have the pleasure for my artwork, they're not only showing their emotions,” she said, “they're also pushing to learn something.” The exhibit in the Gumenick Family Gallery at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, which is dedicated to being the region’s center for creativity, balancing arts and culture, education, and entertainment for the community, is free and open to the public. Sevostyanchik believes through sharing their creativity with others, artists have the ability to unite the world.
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In the 21st century,” she said, “our future will be created not by politicians, but by artists themselves.”
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For more details or to purchase a piece, visit the exhibit at 2880 Mountain Road in Glen Allen or go online.
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