Sofiia's Story
Growing up in Kyiv, Sofiia always had this pervasive feeling of worthlessness, unimportance, and being undeserving of attention. Despite being captivated by visual art, she could never bring herself to create, paralyzed by a fear of the blank canvas. Reflecting on her past, she realizes that these emotions stemmed from the oppressive regime of the Soviet Union, under which Ukraine remained until 1991. The regime treated its people as disposable entities, and this attitude was deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness, affecting Sofiia profoundly.
In 2014, a significant turning point occurred when Sofiia relocated to California. It was there that she gradually started engaging in artistic activities such as drawing, crafting, and painting alongside her daughter. Through this process, Sofiia discovered a newfound joy that helped her overcome her mental and creative block. Encouraged by this newfound passion, she made the decision to pursue her artistic aspirations more seriously, eventually completing the Milan Art Institute Mastery Program.
Initially, Sofiia's artistic portfolio primarily focused on depicting strong and determined women with captivating appearances. She portrayed them against whimsical backdrops that accentuated their resilience and assertiveness. However, she felt compelled to go beyond this and explore different techniques and styles. This exploration led her into the realm of non-objective abstract art, broadening her horizons while still maintaining a significant emphasis on portraiture. Embracing non-objective abstract art brought Sofiia a sense of artistic freedom, motivating her to find ways to merge her two passions: abstracts and portraits.
Driven by her growing fascination with abstract painting, Sofiia began experimenting with creating abstract portraits. Her aim was to capture the essence and emotions of her subjects while presenting them in an abstract manner. Women, in particular, served as her primary source of inspiration, as Sofiia strived to convey their diverse range of emotions, feelings, and states through her artwork, ultimately highlighting their worth and significance. Throughout her artistic journey, Sofiia embarked on numerous experiments and trials, eventually discovering a unique style that viewers now recognize as the "Paper clips style" in soft pastels, as well as texturized figurative abstract in mixed media.
The artist’s paintings were exhibited in Gray Matter Museums of Art in San Clemente, North Coastal Art Gallery in Carlsbad. Sofiia participated in numerous Art Walks, and Art Show in Orange County, Oceanside, Los Angeles, where she had success. Moreover, her painting Flames and Flow won the uniqueness category at Milan Art Club.