Liya Ostrova

Liya Ostrova

Marenbad, 1960 | 28 x 20 "

 

 

 

 

 

Liya Ostrova

Red Leaves on the Window, 1973 | 29 x 23 "

 

 

 

 

 

The paintings of Liya Ostrova are much-admired for combining the power of light with a refined color palette creating a dynamic emotional range which stems from her own life experiences and insights. The consistency of her sunlit subjects, portraits and still lifes, or genre scenes stands out from other Soviet Era art; a testament to her unique and uncompromising spirit.

The wide range of Ostrova’s work includes genre painting compositions, portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and paintings from life. Her bright and beckoning compositions reflect a world of joy and sunshine full of the poetical ｅxpression of life. Her portraits present personalities with rich inner lives revealed at moments of their creative revelation.

Among the most notable works of the artist are her genre scenes of children where she splendidly imparts the joyful beauty of a lovely day. Her canvasses become translucent space filled with the motion of water and airwaves illuminated by sunshine. one sees the transparency of the girl’s dress and sunrays in the child’s hair. Liya’s powerful works depict the human being as an inseparable part of nature.

Liya Alexandrovna Ostrova began life in Sochi, on the Black Sea. As a youth she entered the Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

After Ostrova worked as a senior professor at the Technical School of Arts & Industry, she became a “free” artist actively participating in numerous exhibitions in the USSR, England, France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Japan and Venezuela. Currently, her canvasses are represented in numerous national museums including the State Russian Museum and the Tretyakov State Gallery. Her works are also housed in numerous international museums and are owned by private collectors around the world.