Larisa Aksenova draws on an early career as a geologist
and hydrologist in Russia to create mostly abstract paintings that she will
display in Camas in November. After graduating as an engineer from Moscow State
University, she spent 10 years in the field, where she says the seeds of her art
were sewn. The result, “The World Through my Eyes,” will be on display through Nov. 30 at the Second Story Gallery,
upstairs in the Camas Public Library.
“From the snow-filled forests and the ice-covered
mountains of Siberia, to the heat and golden sands of the desert, these places
left a permanent impression on me,” explains Larisa. She said that, after
moving to the United States, she tried work as a computer programmer, accountant
and hairdresser, “all the while never forgetting the glorious sights I saw as a
geologist.” Those sights now inspire her art.
“I submerged myself in the world of drawing, watercolors
and acrylics,” she said, crediting classes at Clark College for the first steps
in her new life. Realism, she says, led her to want new challenges. “This is where I
found a love for modern art and abstract art.”
“My attraction to abstract art comes from the fact that
people can look at the same painting but each person will come away seeing and
feeling something different,” according to Larisa. “The meaning is in the eye
of the beholder, always provoking thought, conversation and strong
emotions.”
“I would like people to fee something significant when
viewing my work and my goal is to incorporate how the use of color and form
affect human emotion,” says the artist.
The public will be able to view Larisa’s acrylics and
watercolors at Second Story Gallery, 625 NE Fourth Ave., Camas.
The show is open during regular library hours.
Join Us at the
Artist's reception
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2
