ASYA DODINA / SLAVA POLISHCHUK

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Asya Dodina and Slava Polishchuk have worked in collaboration since 2003. They work in several media: drawing, mixed media painting, and printmaking. Dodina and Polishchuk have exhibited in many New York and New Jersey galleries. Their works are in numerous national and international museums as well as public and private collections.

They are recipients of significant art awards including the Stephen Bruce Award for Achievement in Unique Media, The Trenton City Museum of Ellarslie; Project Grant for Exhibition; NY State Council of the Arts; Award of Excellence; Firehouse Art Gallery; Nassau Community College; The Joan Mitchell Foundation Nominee; Jewish Artists Awards Finalist; The Ben Uri Gallery, London; Medal of Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow.

Asya and Slava both received M.F.A degrees from Brooklyn College.

Asya Dodina and Slava Polishchuk: In Their Own Words

Our images are a reminder of the cataclysmic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The world has faced disastrous effects of an unprecedented pandemic: loss of human lives, loneliness, lack of personal interaction, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.

During 2020/21, we were struck by the silence in the streets, abandoned buildings, and outdoor spaces. We saw familiar places from an entirely different perspective-they were silent and without people.

Another aspect of the project is depicting the sublime beauty of landscapes surrounding us. Looking at nature brings a balance and hope,as well as leads to self-reflection, understanding oneself and one’s responsibility to other people.

The project consists of large-scale mixed media paintings on canvases and works on paper. We have chosen paper as the integral material for the series since paper is derived from nature. Its texture and brittleness reflect the amazing vitality and fragility of nature. We applied black acrylic paint on oriental rice paper creating a palette of different hues and then attached small pieces of paper to the canvas the same way as if we would be using paint. Dense layers, lumps of liquid mass soaked in water, monochrome colors, an endless gradation from black to white allows us to create a rich earth like surface for our landscape works.

Art works: https://www.facebook.com/DodinaPolishchuk/photos