Oksana Shulga

Exhibition «The colour of the Sea»

Alajärvi, Finland

The «The colour of the Sea» project is my second personal exhibition in Alayarvi. She talks about her impressions of a trip to the north of Norway to the sea, where the sky, ships and water are endlessly reflected in each other.

Landscapes were painted from life during a trip to the city of Tromso. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Tromso was the starting point for the great polar expeditions of F. Nansen and R. Amudsen. The city, which played a key role in the development of uncharted lands, inspired me to create this series of works. For me, this is a space filled with dreams of something new, a feeling of openness, breadth and freedom.

I want to show different states of the sea, warm evening color, the color of a rainy day, white night, reflections. Every day is a unique harmony, a special feeling. I painted one work while standing in the rain, and another on the hottest summer day. Objects can be realistic or completely abstract; it can be a hint of an object, leaving the viewer the opportunity to fantasize. 

The exhibition also features illustrations for Edgar Allan Poe’s story «The Descent into Maelstrom». This work immerses us in a world of strong emotions, where the main character finds himself alone with the forces of nature, making a decision that will determine his life. This step, without the ability to turn back and try again, creates enormous tension that permeates the entire story.

In the illustrations for this story, I decided to show the feeling of chaos and dynamics, the frantic movement of the harsh northern sea, splashes, huge waves and moments of despair. I tried to create powerful tension through the opposition of two principles - shadow and light.

Exhibition

Soini, Финляндия