Ola Rondiak
BEHIND THE LINES

August 15 - October 20, 2017
Opening Reception: Wednesday, August, 16,  5 - 7 PM
ON ART, Conversations with the Artist: Wednesday, October, 18. 5:15 - 6 PM

Ola Rondiak's paintings stem from her family's experiences living in Ukraine during the historical events of WWII, Stalin's Iron Curtain, the Orange Revolution, and the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. These events shaped Ola Rondiak's worldview. Emotional experiences surface in her paintings as family history intertwines with Ukrainian history and tradition. Using acrylics, collage, and mixed media, Rondiak's iconographic portraitures of women depicts a "determined and indomitable spirit." Bold lines and patterns interrupt the surface texture. Contrasting shapes intersect with text and color. Often referred to as "Pop Art" or "folklore," her work recalls the icons of the Byzantine period where the imperial proliferation of saints and the figure of the Virgin Mary lined basilica walls, retables, iconostases, and altarpieces. The female image loomed large, and for Ola Rondiak, the female portrait underpins the terrain for truth and dignity on her canvases.

Rondiak earned her BS degree at Hunter College and later her M.Ed when she worked as a psychotherapist. Her work has been featured in group and solo exhibitions, most recently at Embassies in Kyiv, Munich, and Berlin, as well as Ukrainian National Museums in Cleveland and Chicago. Rondiak also painted a mural in the historic district of Kyiv, Ukraine, as part of Kyiv's Street Art explosion.

Beckler Family Members' Gallery