I am delighted to share that I have been accepted as a member of the Royal Art Society of New South Wales (RAS NSW).
Founded in 1880, the Royal Art Society of New South Wales has supported Australian artists for more than 145 years through exhibitions, education and the promotion of visual arts. Becoming part of this long-standing artistic community is an important milestone in my professional journey.
As an artist, I am continually seeking opportunities to grow, connect with fellow artists, and contribute to Australia's vibrant arts community. Membership in the Society provides the opportunity to engage with a network of talented artists, participate in exhibitions, and continue developing my artistic practice.
Over the past few years, my work has increasingly focused on celebrating the unique beauty of the Australian landscape through my Tree Portraits series. By combining sculptural relief surfaces with carefully observed colour and light, I aim to encourage viewers to slow down, notice the individuality of native trees, and deepen their connection with the Australian bush.
Joining the Royal Art Society marks another step in this journey. I look forward to exhibiting with the Society, meeting fellow members, and continuing to develop my work while contributing to this respected artistic community.
I would like to thank the Royal Art Society of New South Wales for welcoming me as a member, and I look forward to the opportunities and friendships that lie ahead.
Trained in the classical European school of realistic drawing and painting, I’ve worked across many mediums, but today I am best known for textural acrylic and oil works that focus on the individuality of Australian flora. My process begins with shallow sculptural relief backgrounds that capture the forms and textures of the bush. Onto these surfaces, I layer subtle hues and naturalistic details. From afar, the paintings often read as abstract compositions; up close, they reveal intricate studies of colour and form. As a newcomer to Australia, painting became my way of connecting with this land — learning its trees, flowers, and light through observation. I believe that when we truly know something, we begin to care for it. My work invites viewers to see the bush not as a uniform green mass, but as a collection of distinct, vibrant individuals.
Cultural Production at Scale: Behind the Scenes of Diplomatic Performances. Large-scale cultural productions rely on careful planning, close collaboration, and deep respect for historical detail. The costume performance at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, in 2019 was the most complex project of this kind that I coordinated. It was created for the Embassy of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Women’s Association, and held in honour of the late Christine (Hrystyna) Syvenkyj-Bailey, whose lifelong dedication to Ukrainian cultural heritage continues to resonate deeply. The project required working across multiple teams and private collections to deliver a unified and meaningful performance for a diplomatic audience. For this event, I coordinated 29 models and 17 private collectors, alongside multiple cultural organisations and contributors, bringing together diverse elements into a single coherent presentation. Every detail — from costume construction to the order of presentation — was carefully curated to communicate a clear cultural narrative. My responsibilities spanned curatorial decision-making, logistical coordination, visual design, and narrative development, ensuring that each component supported the overall experience. An earlier performance in 2018, initiated by Christine Syvenkyj-Bailey, was created primarily on the basis of her personal collection. My role focused on shaping the presentation, coordinating contributors, and translating the collection into a clear and engaging public performance. Creating region-appropriate floral head wreaths and jewellery for such a large number of models was particularly challenging, both creatively and logistically. Managing the transport, handling, and return of numerous historical and handmade items required precision and care, but the process was completed successfully without loss or damage. Following the event, I designed a commemorative calendar featuring photographs taken during the performance by Tetiana Matsypura, extending the life of the project beyond the event itself.
