Temporal Psychoexpressionism

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1988, to a renowned cityscape painter, I was immersed in art from a young age, assisting in my mother's studio.

I earned a BA in Graphic Arts and both an MA and PhD in Communication Studies and for many years worked as a professor of Design and Communications, while also creating visual identities and marketing campaigns for brands and personalities.

Since moving to the U.S. in 2016, I have been experimenting with themes and materials in my art, and the research brought me to early Christian art — icons and frescoes with elements of gilding. I am fascinated with the textures of fresco painting and gold leaf: the combination of perfectly matte, eggshell-like stucco and the enchanting, flowy shine of gold leaf creates sensational timelessness. I also draw a lot of inspiration from contemporary art, specifically — the “infinity nets” of Yayoi Kusama, “white writing” of Mark Tobey, and “branching forms” of Ruth Asawa.

Right now I am studying the concept of Time and its perception in different environments. In 2023 I created a style I call temporal psychoexpressionism. Using watercolors and a self-made spackling paste-based primer, I mimic the timeless allure of frescoes in my pieces, and then cover the surface with short brush or marker strokes, which I count in the process – the total count of strokes is often referenced in the title. I allow my hand to guide me and as a result, the patterns of the strokes are absolutely unique like human fingerprints. I often embellish the sides of my paintings with gold leaf, generating a radiant halo effect when exhibited.

I work in my studio in Jersey City and often bring my 5 year old daughter Vera with me. She is learning art making, just like I did with in my mom’s studio when I was her age. This fact for me is a confirmation that “Time is a flat circle” :)

Art for me is an experimental space where physics, philosophy, and spirituality converge. Through my work, I study the implicate orders of the universe, challenging the boundaries of what I considered “real” for most of my life. I believe that physical laws may be shaped by evolving consciousness and intent, where both conscious thought and unconscious processes influence the reality we experience.

Time, in particular, is an obsession of mine. It dictates my existence yet remains intangible, slipping through my grasp as I move through life. I do not own Time. I do not know how much of it I have or what will happen with Time after I am gone. Yet, paradoxically, Time is also an artificial construct, one humans invented to justify mortality. Blink-blink-blink, and everything changes—people disappear, places fade, moments dissolve. Time is easy to ignore but impossible to escape. I struggle with the changes it brings, both in my personal life and in my perception of the world.

To reconcile with this uncertainty, I developed a practice I call Temporal Psychoexpression—a ritualistic approach to painting, principles of which I derived from various meditation practices. One specific type of meditation – focused transcendence facilitated by special sound recordings (Monroe sound science) influences my creative process the most. Making art became a natural extension of the meditation: I receive information while in meditative state, and I express that information in visual form through texture, color and shape.

The pouring of my spackling paste-based primer mimics the expansion feeling of the meditative state: flooding the surface of my canvas like an unrestrained current. Layering watercolors mirrors the accumulation of experience and memory. Finally, I punctuate the work with hundreds—sometimes thousands—of small strokes, applied with a brush or acrylic marker. Each stroke represents a fraction of a second, a heartbeat of creation, I count them in the process. Total count is referenced in the title. That beat, the rhythm of the strokes, forms a temporal pscychoexpression: the imprint of vibrational energy I experienced at a particular time, while tuned into a particular frequency.

By fusing scientific method with contemplative exploration, I aim to turn my artwork into an infographic of consciousness, a record of the frequencies of time I experience while being me.

Ultimately, I believe art is both a compass and a container—an instrument for exploring realities beyond the purely physical, venturing into the realms of the mind, spirit, and shared human imagination. My work exists within that space, an invitation to step into the unseen and embrace the intangible forces that shape human existence.

2024 — “Affordable Art Show”, ArtHouse, Jersey city, USA
2024 — “Tangled Up in Blue”, Newport Centre, Jersey City, USA
2024 — “Radical Reimagining”, Newark Art Museum, Newark, USA
2024 —”The Red Show”, Shibumi Gallery, NYC, USA
2024 — "We Curate!" Art Show, Art150 Gallery, Jersey City, USA
2024 –The Affordable Art Show, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, USA

2024 — "Midsommar" Art Show, ArtLab Gallery, Mendham, USA
2024 – Cathedral Arts Festival, Jersey City, USA

2024 – “Ritual/Reverence” Art Show, Brooklyn, New York, USA

2024 – “Touch” Art Show, Art150 Gallery, Jersey City, USA

2024 – “Static Motion” Art Show, 14C Gallery, Jersey City, USA

2024 – “Re:Growth” Art Show, Art150 Gallery, Jersey City, USA

2024 — Featured in SaatchiArt collection

2024 – "Best in Show 2023" Art Show, Emerge Gallery, NY, USA

2023 – Publication: Women in Arts Network profile feature

2023 – Holiday Art Show. Departed Souls, Jersey City, USA

2023 – Publication: Artist Closeup Blog

2023 – “Why Do You Do It?” Art Show. Boomer Gallery, London, UK

2023 – Personal Show, Open Studio (part of JCAST and Jersey City Art Week). 313 Gallery, Jersey City, USA

2023 – Summer Mercado. Wine & Design Studio, Weehawken, USA

2022 – Published a book with watercolor illustrations “History of Public Transportation”, Kacheli publishing, St. Petersburg, Russia

2020 – Curator: Irina Alexandrina’s Personal Exhibition. Gallery “Ponte Vecchio", Florence, Italy

2018 – Curator: End of Spring Semester Art Show. St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, USA

2017 – Curator: Winter Art Show. St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, USA

2016 – “Secret garden”. Sit and Wonder, Brooklyn, USA

2014 – 2012 - Curator: “Blue Horseman, Yellow Sound” Memorial Exhibition. St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia

2013 – Arts & Crafts Festival. Old Town Square. Limassol, Cyprus

2012 – Curator: “Simple Things”. Audi Retail center. St. Petersburg, Russia

2012 – Curator: “Hudozhniki Group Show”. Time Cafe, St. Petersburg, Russia

2011 – Museum Anniversary Art Show. Erarta Museum. St. Petersburg, Russia

2011 – Illustration published in Dress Code Fashion Magazine. St. Petersburg, Russia

2010 – Graphic Art Show. Gallery “Anna”. St. Petersburg, Russia

2009 – Quarterly Art Show, Emerging Artists section. Artists Union Gallery. St. Petersburg, Russia

2008 – 1st prize in the “City views” competition among students of art schools. Moscow, Russia

2007 – “Flowers” Exhibition. Central Exhibiting Hall. St. Petersburg, Russia

2006 – The Young Artists Exhibition. Central Art House. Moscow, Russia