Kseniia Sokolova

My body of work is the representation of the theme “other worlds”, which encapsulates various concepts and issues that I was interested in exploring. I approach topics that I want to illustrate through the use of unusual environments that combine both visual and thematic connection. I intend to make the viewers see the complexity of the world around them and realize their values and priorities in life. 

To achieve that, I used both worlds that are “reachable” and those that are “unreachable” to human beings, whether they are physical, imaginary, mental, or spiritual. The majority of my artworks are obviously more on a fantastic side, while others seem to be ordinary at the first glance. However, all of them contain some sort of hidden meaning that needs to be looked at closely to understand. I utilized a variety of mediums that would best suit the idea or concept chosen for a particular piece. Although quite different, most pieces share similar color schemes even with the use of different materials. “Collision of Minds” is the only artwork that was created in black and white, which makes it stand out the most out of all my pieces. I also didn’t follow a certain artstyle but rather decided to experiment with a few different ones, therefore most of my works don’t look similar stylistically. My interest in extraordinary theories and topics led me to study more about the human mind, the meaning of our existence, and issues that have been common throughout the years. To better convey my messages, I included symbolic imagery when it was possible. Most of my pieces unintentionally contain people or other creatures, so I suppose it happened because of my personal interest in depicting humans. However, their inclusion seems logical when it comes to the ideas I was aiming to express. 

I wanted my body of work to look symmetrical and harmonical, so I decided to make a shape out of my artworks. Since “Collision of Minds” stands out the most due to its size and media, I felt the need to place it in the middle to not disturb the harmony and color scheme of my other pieces. The other six pieces surround “Collision of Minds”, creating a figure that resembles a  rhombus. “Spiritual Awakening” and “Rebirth” are placed across each other in the opposite corners due to the fact that they both depict a close-up portrait of a person. “Reality Check” and “Observation” share a similar greenish-blue color, therefore they are also placed in the same way. “Lies that Seize into Darkness” and “Mandela Effect” are similar in shape, so they’ve been placed across each other vertically. In addition, “Spiritual Awakening” and “Observation” share identical proportions, thus adding a satisfying effect by being on the sides at the top. By arranging my artworks in this matter, the viewers’ eyes first go to the middle of the exhibition, then to “Lies that Seize into Darkness”, and then they have a freedom of choice in which direction they want to look afterwards. My pieces are all about completely different concepts, so the order in which they are viewed thematically is not significant. However, the color scheme changes gradually from one work to another, so this set-up works best to encourage the viewers to follow the art pieces in the recommended order.