Artist’s Statement

I carefully study the meaning and deep roots of ornaments, signs and symbols in decorative painting. It helps me to negotiate with the world and to self-determine, to self-identify in it as a woman and as an artist. Immersed in my fictional, painted world, my art, it is possible to understand the universe and the role of human in it. At the same time, the simplicity and complexity of the forms and images that I use in my works have a deep meaning and interpretation, and their fabulous variations with recognizable images provoke reflection on personal development and the beauty of the world around us. The chosen manner of decorative image gives me the opportunity to personally interpret the world in which I live and in which I would like to live.

Video art

NO NAME

In this project, the image of the skull is compared to my portrait from the video series and consists of squares of color animation and represent a rethinking of the author’s paintings of decorative painting through the interpretation of their AI as “portraits”. Against the background of fractal metamorphoses, the duplicated image of the painting “Trees of Life” changes. Working with ethnic identification through research, study and interpretation of signs and symbols in Ukrainian folk art, in this project, I shift the emphasis from personalized metaphors to generalized symbol and rethink the notion of ethnicity and authenticity through amorphous portraits of non-existent people created by artificial intelligence.

The question of life, death and immortality has always worried people, and the skull, as a dual symbol of death and immortality, is the reason for different interpretations and philosophies. The resistance of bone tissue to decomposition and decay in ancient cultures symbolized vitality. The skull is a certain emblem of human mortality, but it has always been seen as a container for the soul and in some cultures, it is believed that the soul continues to live within the skull after death. “If you own the skull of another, then you two, so it can bring the owner victory in extreme clashes” – for this reason, the human skull is endowed with special ritual value since Paleolithic times and is actively used by paramilitary and extreme groups of people. If the activity of the individual does not involve activity, then the symbolism of the skull is reduced to “reflection and philosophizing.” With this meaning, it is still used today in Christianity and various subcultures, ready to denote separation from society.

Author, music – Roksolana Dudka. Co-author – Vartan Markarian

ANGEL

The project talks about “beauty” and the importance of enriching the inner world.

An angel is primarily a spiritual being with wings. But in this case, the being becomes an angel through spiritual enrichment and awareness of his individuality. An ordinary figure reveals the inner potential for himself and the world, creating something unique in an empty environment without “grain” and “conditions”. The transformation of the environment takes place from the inside out, it flies and becomes an angel, giving rise to life.

Author, music – Roksolana Dudka

ROOTS

In this work, I have tried to rethink the well-known theses about the origin of life and people on Earth. The only root that is the central object among the barely recognizable ovals of male and female heads is not subordinate to anyone, but is desirable for both parties. Birds that carry heads symbolize nature, which gives life to everything, but remains “in the shadows”. The pot is the bosom, and the flower is the fruit of passion, which hypnotizes and awakens thoughts, desires and fears.

Author, music – Roksolana Dudka