​ SVETLANA
 artist & photographer

BIO

 

Svetlana Penrose (née Svetlana Kostrikova) was born in 1974, St.Petersburg, Russia.

 

I grew up in one of the most beautiful cities of Russia, St. Petersburg! That is where my admiration for architecture and the arts began.

At the age of 24 I traveled to Africa and spent a year there learning the culture and having adventures. Then I came to the United States, to California and absolutely fell in love with the ocean and the diverse beauty of this state.

I lived in Los Angeles, creating my art, taking photographs and working with mixed media. My photography is observation of life and finding beauty in the moment, I love fashion and portraits. 

Lately I have been living in South of Spain, mainly working on my drawings and paintings.

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ARTIST STATEMENT

 

My paintings and drawings are fantasy improvisations executed with color gel pen or marker on recycled black paper, silk, canvas, and other surfaces. Intricate line paintings and drawings present a body of work that maps up thoughts and emotions through abstracted figure braided into its own energy field. I make use of signs and symbols developing my own visual language allowing the viewer to interpret how meaning in my work is constructed and processed. By introducing “linguistic messages” in a number of my work  it makes the approach at once linguistic and visual. Its  like meditating with a pen.

Conscious realization of my abilities to express myself through visual imagery came to me in September 2004 after a powerful experience I had with the ocean. I almost drowned, but was able to surrender and let go. Not encountering any resistance the waves threw me back up to the shore. 

That was the beginning of my journey as an artist.

My artwork is meditation for me. It is an adventure every time, a flow, an expression and exit for my emotions and feelings. I believe in positive energy and always infuse love and peace into my work.

 

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Svetlana Penrose has exhibited her work at:

Group show in Hollywood, CA, an exhibition organized by the Los Angeles Journal

Group show at The Hanger Gallery, Santa Monica CA; 

Group show at Ellinof’s Gallery, Telluride, CO; 

Group show at Maki Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA; 

Group show at Celebrations Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA; 

Group show at H Studio Gallery DTLA, CA; 

Group show at Arts Flea, Art District, Los Angeles,CA; 

Group show at Art Share, Art District, Los Angeles, CA; 

Mural at design cafe Dabang, Los Angeles, CA;

Group show at Downtown Art Walk Lounge, DTLA; 

Group show at Hive Gallery DTLA; 

Group show at Fold Gallery DTLA; 

Solo exhibit at Craft Cafe and Gallery in St.Petersburg, Russia

Group show at Angel City Brewery, Art District, DTLA, CA

Group show at Photo Biennale Russian Museum St.Petersburg , Russia 

Group show at Olivares Fine Art, Malaga, Spain