Artist Katia Bulbenko creates intriguing mixed media assemblages using a variety of techniques that blur the line between painting and sculpture. Visit her website to learn more.
“Blue Blue Ocean” Acrylic on Wood and Canvas, 24” x 12”
I’m a multidisciplinary artist, combining techniques and concepts of painting, printmaking, fiber art and pattern design.
“Ambient” (Series of 12) Acrylic, Wood, Watercolor on Paper, Painted Silk, Synthetic Fiber, Metal, Thread, Beads and Rice Paper on Cradled Board, 4” x 4” Each
Inspired by memories, landscapes and eroded natural objects such as shells and rocks, my pieces are made up of fragments. I like to think of each completed work as a fragment itself.
“Ambient #4” Acrylic, Wood, Painted Silk, Synthetic Fiber, Thread, Rice Paper and Marker, 4” x 4”
I hope to create a connection with the universal feeling of belonging and of being part of the fabric of our natural world.
“Rosso” Acrylic, Wood, Painted Silk, Synthetic Fiber and Thread on Canvas, 8” x 10”
Blurring the lines between painting and sculpture, my layered assemblages may be several inches deep. There are parts that overlap each other and extend beyond the format, eliminating constraint to the edges and crossing over into the realm of three-dimensional objects.
“Lakelike” Acrylic, Wood and Painted Silk, 34” x 60”
The constructions are created from materials such as wood, fabric, paper, metal, beads, watercolor, acrylic and/or marker.
“Roam” Acrylic, Canvas, Wood, Painted Silk and Printed Silk, 10” x 12”
I prepare my materials first, cutting the wood with a jigsaw, sanding the pieces smooth and painting them with acrylics. A larger piece of wood might become an irregularly shaped format for the assemblage, rather than a rectangular canvas or board.
“Terra” (Series of 8) Acrylic, Wood, Watercolor on Paper, Painted Silk, Synthetic Fiber, Metal, Thread, Beads and Rice Paper on Cradled Board, 4” x 4” Each
Using the painted silks and printed fabrics I’ve designed, I sandwich and sew the fiber layers together with a stiff interfacing to give them some body. Hand embroidery, machine topstitching and beads add texture and detail. I might cut up a watercolor painting, tear up some mulberry paper, and snip pieces of embossed copper.
“Terra #2” Acrylic, Wood, Watercolor on Paper, Painted Silk, Synthetic Fiber, Thread, Beads, Rice Paper and Marker on Cradled Board, 4” x 4”
I use acrylic medium to assemble paper components. Then I start playing with composition, shifting shapes around and getting a feel for the personality each assemblage will have. Sometimes I’m guided by a color idea, other times by a memory or place in my mind’s eye.
“Scorpion” Acrylic, Canvas, Wood, Painted Silk and Rice Paper, 10” x 30”
After growing up constantly drawing and making things, I studied printmaking and painting at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Rome, where my abstract style was formed. Being around remnants of ancient civilization while creating deeply etched zinc plates, my work evolved to become a non-representational metaphor of history jutting up against modernity.
“Serendipitous” Acrylic, Wood, Painted Silk and Synthetic Fiber, 13” x 22”
After graduating, I pursued other interests including jewelry, metal sculpture and fabric design, working with silk dyes to create textiles and handpainted scarves. Painted silk and the concept of pattern have continued to find their way into my work.
Artist Katia Bulbenko invites you to follow her on Instagram.
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