Oksana Zmiyevska

Oksana Zmiyevska is a figurative painter. Born in 1987 in the Crimea, the young artist came to Vienna at the age of 16. She completed her painting studies with Johanna Kandl in 2011. She has lived in Vienna as a freelance artist since 2004. Her adopted country of Austria repeatedly challenges her to grapple with her identity, the question of self-determination and the possibilities that modern painting offers her here. The artist experiences the time in the studio as a contrast to a time that is both limited and determined by uncertainty.

In the past, the claim to learn about art for oneself and to sound out one’s own art has repeatedly led to discourses in various artistic disciplines. Water-like glass sculptures were created, which, in correspondence with scenic images, explored the identity and the very personal relationship to Crimea. The tapestry became a further field of experimentation to explore the possible effects of materiality and color.

According to an interview in Les Noveaux Riches, Zmiyevska describes her process of finding her art as coming through her gut, heart, and head. She says, “there are different ego states for me, and in all of these states, the belly plays an essential role. People I meet in everyday life inspire me.”

Landschaft, Oil on Canvas, 140 x 200 cm © Oksana Zmiyevska