Zhenya Parish
The Art of Letting Go
May 6–May 28, 2023

The pieces chosen for this exhibition are relatively recent. They reflect an evolving use of abstraction to capture a practice of observation and interaction. The works have their origin, primarily, in live painting events the artist held throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia. During this time, Parish returned to larger canvases to explore a dialogue and symbology of perceived experiences. She did not begin with a pre-established method for their creation, but encouraged participation and interaction with audiences and other performing artists. The only primary understanding was The Art of Letting Go. What was revealed on the canvas constantly evolved over the course of an evening. Parish did not commit to any temporary perception, but practiced the art of opening up to constantly change the experience.

In this exhibition, Parish hopes that these pieces will challenge the viewer to find a new point of relation and help create a moment of understanding, appreciation, or feeling.
We live in flux. Embrace it.

About the artist:

Parish’s love, desire and persistence for art was born and developed in Russia, starting with teenage art school in Voronezh, where she received her classical, Post-Soviet art training and education. After the unfortunate death of her mother, Parish made her way to the US and Kansas State University, where she graduated with a Fine Arts, Oil Painting degree. Her paintings were raw and dark with windows of light, simplified in shapes and colors to reflect her childhood. Moving to DC after graduation, she began a new life, eventually becoming a mother. She began creating out of her bag of tools, canvases, and colors a basis upon which she would challenge and surpass their utilitarian limitations. She began to explore live and interactive art creations, and Canvas Vibrations was born. In recent years, she have found studio space and has been working to leverage that into new and refined explorations.