The Eternal Divine: The Art of Oksana Prokopenko

December 20, 2018 – January 18, 2019 at the Gallery at the Sheen Center (18 Bleecker St, New York)

Last Thursday Oksana Prokopenko opened an exhibit at the Sheen Center of her works in mosaic. On display are mosaics both traditionally Eastern and Western (St. Francis). Mosaics, assembled from hundreds and thousands of small pieces of colored glass and stone, have magical effect all their own. A large depiction of two angels, an icon of the Virgin Mary and Christ – all shimmer in gold and bright colors reflecting the lights of the gallery.

The artist forthrightly acknowledges the spiritual essence of her work:

“The process of creation is a spiritual practice, communion with the divine, a prayer that involves mind, soul and body. My hands that create the work are obedient to the Spirit. I become the proverbial pencil in the hands of God. The Eternal Divine is expressed in the myriad temporal, yet no less divine parts. So is my work composed of tiny bits, which when taken together bring forth the divine spiritual image. That in turn awakens and brings forth the divine in the viewer.” (From the Sheen Center announcement)

In the present wasteland of Christian art, the relatively intact Eastern Tradition is a good starting point for recovery. For the restrictive rules governing images in Eastern ecclesiastical art impose limits on the artist’s unhinged fantasy yet provide him with a clear model to follow. Now Oksana Prokopenko’s images and icons, executed in the difficult and expensive medium of mosaic, confirm both the continued vitality of the Tradition and its ability to accommodate individual creativity.

More on the artist:

“Oksana Prokopenko is a Ukrainian-born artist now living and working in the NYC area. She received university education in both the US at NYU and the Ukraine, at the Kiev Moyla Academy. She creates oil paintings as well as micro-mosaics from tiny pieces of glass. Prokopenko’s works have been acquired into the permanent collections of museums in the USA and Italy. She has been featured on the Russian international TV network, NTV, radio shows, and numerous publications. To quote Margo Grant, the Museum of Russian Art’s director, “The soul of Prokopenko’s work is in her walking that fine line between the transcendent and the ordinary. Prokopenko has achieved sheer brilliance in her deft treatment of the tiny pieces in her micro-mosaics. What’s more is that it is done with a rainbow of majestic colors.” Sue Dymond of The Glass Craftsman describes viewing Oksana’s work as “basking in quiet brilliance” and suggests – “Prepare to be inspired.” Russian NTV network’s Blagonravova states, “Oksana’s work is made not only with thousands of glass pieces, but also out of thousands of prayerful words.” Prokopenko is a rarity in today’s contemporary art scene. Her work process is similar to artists that worked hundreds of years before her with an intense focus on precision, quality and detail. Often described as a colorist, her colors inspire the viewer to spiritual and emotional heights similar to those felt by Prokopenko during her creative process, which has been described as a spiritual practice – a colorist’s communion with the divine.” (From the Sheen Center announcement)

For more information see HERE