I grew up with parents who knew how to make something from nothing. Our home was like a big studio for my mom. I'm deeply influenced by the Uzbek Ikat design ( where my parents came from) and the colorful Uzbek textile that surrounded me since I was born. To be expressing ourselves artistically was the way we were brought up. All six of my siblings and I played instruments, sang, wove etc. It was expected that we would function through life in a creative way.
My choice to paint mostly abstract is driven by a need to get lost in the unknown of the canvas and to find it’s voice.
An expressive brushstroke, a gestural quality of lines, how thick or thin the paint is, when laying against one another, is a thrill. Coming up with a composition that is appealing is like a dance of push and pull, meaning it could be either an agonizingly long dialog or sudden brief burst of effort. I compare it to creating music in that it’s usually an uncharted improvisation based on some basic technique that gets me to fresh ideas. I relay on the subconscious to guide me through how and what I paint, and sometimes it’s only later when it all make sense.
I use Oils, Pastels Water color Gush and acrylic / mix media.
I grew up in Tel Aviv Israel and have been living in San Francisco and California for half my life.
I graduated from San Francisco Art Institute.