Every piece of Ola Rondiak's work contains a thread of memory and lived experiences. This exhibition, "It is Within," explores the multigenerational stories told through Rondiak's mixed media portraits that act as a visual mouthpiece for censored Ukrainians, returning the voice to the Ukrainian women who have suffered at the hands of oppression and war. Much of Rondiak's work is informed by the stories of her grandmother Paraskevia Michniaks' imprisonment in the Russian Gulag during WWII and Rondiak’s own experiences during the Orange Revolution in 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity in 2014.

The focal piece of this exhibition is Rondiak's mixed media straight jacket "It is Within," which employs powerful use of embroidery and acrylic to create a sensational patchwork of portraits, revealing the woman within, their identity worn on their sleeves. Rondiak's straight jacket work serves as a memorial for her grandmother Paraskevia, who made her own rebellious embroidered pieces in secret, hidden within the folds of her clothes during her Gulag detainment. Here, Rondiak exposes the secrets her grandmother held close to her heart and publicly celebrates her persevering inner creativity.

A selection of Rondiak's stirring portraits of women accompany the straight jacket. This includes "Alive," a portrait of acrylic collage with charcoal, tempera, and oil stick on canvas. The smudge of yellow and blue pigments around the woman's eyes and trail down her cheeks representing her threatened Ukrainian identity. The portrait lays bare the image of those who suffered, survived, and emerged stronger and more dignified than ever. Rondiak’s exceedingly affecting portraits transpose her lived experiences onto paper such that the viewer cannot help but draw closer for further investigation.

This exhibition is a visual feast and an exploration of the interplay between personal history, artistic expression, and the enduring spirit of creativity. As you navigate through the virtual gallery, we invite you to reflect on the stories embedded in each stitch, brushstroke, and layer of Rondiak's masterpieces. "It is Within" serves as a poignant reminder that, even in the face of constraint, the human spirit has the power to break free and celebrate the beauty within.

Curatorial Statement
Phoebe Caswell