Tanya Levina
Tanya Levina paints Space, representing the awe inspiring vastness of existence and then in her figurative works she zeroes-in on the tiny spec that our collective joys and sorrows occupy in the grand scheme of it all. A Belorussian Jewish refugee in the US, Levina is fascinated by the immigrant community hailing from former Soviet Union countries in Brooklyn, by the absurdities and contradictions that abound in it. She paints the everyday moments which encapsulate that sometimes insular diaspora experience, where poverty and extravagance are inexplicably coupled, and where old world values are constantly clashing with modern American culture. The Cosmos holds a special meaning to those born in the former Soviet Union, a nod to the ‘Space Race’ of the 20th Century; its exploration a symbol of the ultimate goal and achievement.
“Speak Memory,” Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in, 2019
PP: Where are you currently living/ working and what are you working on?
TL: I'm living and working in Brooklyn, NY and my current body of work is a meditation on human experience and our place within the Universe. I start with my impression of Space, representing the awe inspiring vastness of existence and then in my figurative series I zero-in on the tiny spec that our collective joys and sorrows occupy in the grand scheme of it all.
My subjects are rooted in aspects of my experiences or the fantasies derived from them. When I was 11, my family moved to Brooklyn, New York from Minsk, Belarus. As an immigrant, a refugee from the former USSR, I am fascinated by the Jewish immigrant community in Brooklyn hailing from former Soviet Union countries, and the absurdities and contradictions that abound in it. I paint the everyday moments which encapsulate that sometimes insular Diaspora experience, where poverty and extravagance are inexplicably coupled, and where old-world values are constantly clashing with modern American culture. My series offers a small window into this world, from the eyes of an American who nevertheless has an intimate understanding of her subjects’ habits and prejudices.
“New Experience,” Oil on board, 24 x 18in, 2021
PP: Who or what has had the biggest impact on your creative practice?
TL: For the longest time I was stuck in a fixed mindset (brought on by Soviet Union style parenting). I believed that artists were allotted a certain amount of talent at birth and if they weren't amazing by the age of 20 - there was nothing to do about it. It was only years later, with the help of continuing education classes at The New York Academy of Art as well as Carol Dweck's book "Mindset" that I realized that there is no fixed talent ceiling. I can continue to learn and hone my painting technique year after year. I am now happy to see that each year my paintings improve, and the growth will continue until I can no longer hold a paint brush. I'm excited to see what the future me will be able to create!
Sunday Banya, Oil on canvas, 24 x 18 in, 2022
PP: What body or piece of work that you have made is most meaningful to you?
TL: I have a small series called "Speak Memory", where I depict people who have passed away, with a background depicting scenes from their lives or people/objects meaningful to them. My favorite artwork in this series is a portrait of my late father, who passed away from Covid last year, before he was even able to retire. In this painting (shown below), he is sharing an ice cream made out of starlight with my younger sister. By tracing his face with a paintbrush, I aimed to keep his facial expression and image alive in my memory, as well as on canvas.
"Ice Cream Memory", 11x14in, Oil on board, 2022
PP: What role do you think artists have in society?
TL: A recent behavioral study from the UK called "The mappiness project", which aims to research what makes people happy in the moment, found that 3 of the top 5 things that make people happy are creating and consuming all forms of art (e.g. painting, music, dance, theater). It may not be obvious to all, but artists in all mediums are producing works that are responsible for a large portion of daily human happiness on the planet. And now we even have data to prove it! I think we need to talk more about this!
Tanya Levina lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She studied painting at the Art Students League, Slade School of Fine Arts in London and The New York Academy of Art. Levina is a recipient of a COJECO Blueprint Fellowship award and has been featured in numerous exhibitions at venues including Trask Gallery at the National Arts Club, NYC, Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons, MD and MoRA (Museum of Russian Art) in Jersey City, NJ.
To reach Tanya or learn more about her work, see her instagram and website.