Breeze, oil on acm panel, 24×36”
Between reality and imagination exists a space where memories, emotions, and personal histories overlap. Ukraine-born American artist Alla Bartoshchuk explores this uncertain territory in her oil paintings, using symbolic figures and surreal environments to reflect on identity, transformation, and the human experience. Her recent series, Where Worlds Touch, examines the emotional impact of cultural fragmentation and conflict while searching for moments of connection and resilience.
Based in Southern California, Bartoshchuk creates figurative paintings that combine technical precision with dreamlike storytelling. Born in Rivne, Ukraine, she moved to the United States in 2005 and later earned a BFA in Painting from Memphis College of Art and an MFA in Painting from Laguna College of Art and Design. Her work often draws from the subconscious, using imagery that feels both deeply personal and open to interpretation.
In Where Worlds Touch, Bartoshchuk reflects on the experience of living between cultures and navigating a world shaped by division. The series grew from her earlier body of work, In Between, and uses layered figures and symbolic motifs to explore themes of rupture, repair, and belonging. Rather than presenting a direct narrative, the paintings create dreamlike spaces where viewers can consider their own relationships with memory and place.
Across the paintings in Where Worlds Touch, Bartoshchuk pairs human figures with unexpected companions and forms that suggest transformation, resilience, and emotional healing. Birds, animals, and elements of the natural world appear throughout the series, not as literal illustrations but as recurring motifs that invite multiple interpretations. Each composition balances vulnerability with quiet strength, creating scenes suspended between memory and imagination.
“Painting allows me to communicate experiences that are often difficult to express through words alone,” Bartoshchuk tells My Modern Met. “I enjoy combining realism with symbolic and surreal elements to create images that feel both personal and universal,” she says. “I especially love oil painting because of its depth, and ability to build atmosphere through layers of color and texture.”
Bartoshchuk draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, including dreams, mythology, personal memories, nature, psychology, and current world events. Her Ukrainian heritage also plays an important role in her practice. “My Ukrainian heritage and experiences living between different cultures also influence my work,” she tells My Modern Met. “I am inspired by symbolic imagery, folklore, and the emotional resilience of people during times of uncertainty and change.”
Rather than constructing direct narratives, Bartoshchuk builds paintings that leave room for reflection. She describes herself as “a storyteller at heart,” explaining that each work is “an attempt to recollect and make sense of my subconscious mind.” Those layered compositions encourage viewers to bring their own memories and emotions into the experience, revealing what she calls “a kaleidoscope of possible meanings and interpretations.”
The artist’s careful attention to technique reinforces that sense of openness. Smooth transitions between light and shadow create a quiet glow, while layered brushwork gives her figures remarkable depth and presence. Through Where Worlds Touch, Bartoshchuk transforms personal experience into a broader meditation on identity, resilience, and the connections that endure across cultures and generations.
Ukraine-born American artist Alla Bartoshchuk’s paintings blend classical realism with dreamlike symbolism.
Heat, oil on acm panel, 40×60”
Paper World, Heat, oil on acm panel, 40×60”
Soft light, muted palettes, and recurring motifs create an atmosphere that feels suspended between memory and imagination.
Mokosh, oil on acm panel, 30×38”
Defiant, oil on acm panel, 25×30”
Drawing inspiration from dreams and the subconscious, Bartoshchuk creates paintings that reward close looking.
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