New York, NY- Space 776 is pleased to present Woman in Landscape, a solo exhibition of oil paintings and watercolors by NYC-based Russian artist Elena Chestnykh.

 

Elena Chestnykh's landscapes and figures are filled with poetic metaphors not only describing her personal experiences navigating life in America, geographically, culturally, and politically, but also focusing more directly on gender, body, and the self. In her painting, Breach, (2022) one of her most recent and interactive artworks, Chestnykh reflects on the ongoing war in Ukraine. The artist inserts herself, or the viewer, in the painting by adding a mirror element in the middle of the painting. 

 

The protagonist of the exhibition is a woman who finds a fulcrum within herself, her body, and her sexuality. Chestnykh sees the body as a direct, physical presence and a source of vitality, desire, and power. Through the body, she feels oneness with nature and the endless flow of the river of life. We are all born into the world as creatures of the flesh, and from bodily perceptions, movements, emotions, and feelings, the meaning of life becomes possible. This dynamic balance, including flow, movement, and dance are all active principles revealing their own beauty and unique expression.