Interview

Written By Adelé Kotzé

Bohdanna Kesala

For over 20 years, Bohdanna has pursued her artistic career as a painter in San Francisco, California. In 2004, she earned her M.F.A. in painting from San Francisco State University, and has exhibited her work around the United States, and in several countries in Europe. In 2003, she was chosen to exhibit her paintings at the Florence Biennale. Bohdanna’s work directly reflects her personal feelings and life experiences, and as she says, “Just look at my paintings and you will know everything you need to know about me and my journey.”

 

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I have been painting since I was a child, and my parents were avid art collectors, so I was surrounded by art my whole life. However, I never dreamed that art could be the focus of my life. I was raised in a family that valued security and wealth, so I never envisioned art as a career path. It was not until college that I realized that art could be a focus in my life. My freshman year of college I took a life changing English class. I felt so inspired by the topic that we were studying that I painted a painting. I then gave the painting to the professor who taught the class. Months later he returned the painting to me and told me that he no longer needed it because he had put the painting on the cover of his book “Teaching Hearts and Minds: College Students Reflect on the Vietnam War in Literature” by Barry M. Kroll. This was the first time that I had gotten such positive affirmation of my work that I decided to focus on painting and study it in college and ultimately get my MFA in painting.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“Ah, this is a heavy question. My current series that I am working on is a direct reflection of my feelings on the war in Ukraine. I am a first generation Ukrainian/American. I was raised in the Ukrainian community in Chicago. Ukrainian was my first language, I went to Ukrainian school on Saturdays, and Ukrainian church on Sundays. It was a very close knit community. So, obviously the war in Ukraine has had a definite impact on me. Patterns have been a focus of my work in the past, so it was a natural progression for me to start focusing on Ukrainian patterns at this time. There are so many Ukrainian embroidery and ceramic patterns from different parts of Ukraine to research. Ukrainian embroidery is a code, and each pattern can be linked back to a specific region of Ukraine, even the colors have meaning. So, I took these patterns and their meanings and integrated them into a new visual language, my language and feelings on the current state in Ukraine.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“In the past, my work has been very improvisational. However, this new series is planned. I choose the pattern and color palette in advance. It is not until the very end, where I scrape the painting that I do not know what will happen, and that is the most exciting part of the process.”

Are there any art world trends you are following?

“Because of the focus of my work I have been following a lot of Ukrainian artists to see how they have been affected by the war and how they have been expressing the current state through their work.”

“For me painting is my therapy, the way I express myself to the world, my outlet. It means everything.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“These paintings are very traditional. I have been painting them on linen and using oil paints with a traditional oil medium. I feel like that way the composition is the focus and not the medium. I guess the one thing about my process that is not traditional, is that after I spent hours painting the pattern onto the linen, I scrape away part of the composition. This process shows that nothing is precious and the passage of time.”

What does your art mean to you?

“I feel lucky that I found my passion so early in life. For me painting is my therapy, the way I express myself to the world, my outlet. It means everything.”

What’s your favourite artwork and why?

“I have too many favorites to mention, but one of my favorite artists is Agnes Martin. Her work truly speaks to me. Her use of pattern, how quiet and loud her painting can be, they seem simple at first, but as you look at them they grow more complex. I love it. Looking at her work just gives me pause and calmness. Her writings are spectacular too. I highly recommend reading her book.”

 
Adelé Kotzé
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