Main image: Yana Liubarska's art (Instagram page)
The thirty-second interview through images by Andrew Sheptunov
We are thrilled to present our new special project, New Names. This is an experimental space within our ongoing conversations about art, where we will introduce the Odessa audience and the world to bright, original artists.
The defining feature of this format is the rejection of words where they fall short. Here, the artist answers questions not with text, but with their artwork, allowing the viewer to enter into a direct, intuitive dialogue with the imagery.
The first protagonist of New Names is Ukrainian artist Yana Liubarska. Her journey into art is a story of radical transformation and the search for her true self. Leaving behind a successful career in economics and marketing, Yana stepped into the unpredictable world of painting, trading the dry language of numbers for the fluidity of watercolor.
This transition from rigid structures to absolute creative freedom became the foundation of her unique style, where the discipline of thought intertwines with emotional chaos.
Liubarska's work deeply resonates with the spirit of Odessa—a city that has always valued freedom of expression, sunlight, and the sea horizon. Although the artist currently lives and works in Greece, her roots and cultural code remain distinctly Ukrainian.
Her works exude the same thirst for life and the ability to see beauty in the details that are so characteristic of the Odessa art school. It is art that speaks the universal language of the south, the sun, and inner strength.
At the core of Yana's artistic method is the concept of the "multi-perspective gaze." Her portraits often depict faces with multiple pairs of eyes or fragmented imagery. This is not merely a visual device, but an attempt to capture the multifaceted nature of the human personality, the simultaneous existence of several subpersonalities within us, and the struggle between social masks and our genuine essence.
An essential feature of her artistic language is her work with void and "air." Yana does not strive to fill every centimeter of the paper with color, allowing the canvas its own voice. In her watercolors, white space is not the absence of an image, but an active component of the composition—a space for the viewer to breathe and think.
This visual silence creates an effect of intimacy: the works do not shout, they whisper, inviting you to pause and fill the understatement with your own emotions.
Yana Liubarska's style can be described as "refined minimalism" with profound psychological undertones. She explores themes of female empowerment, which in her interpretation is devoid of aggression, yet full of resilience and tenderness. Her heroines are modern warriors whose weapon is not a sword, but a gaze capable of piercing to the core of things. Her relocation to Thessaloniki has added antique notes to her palette and a distinct "Greek" light that now floods her canvases.
In this interview, you won't read lengthy reflections. We asked Yana questions concerning her past, fears, technique, and philosophy. In response, she opened her archive. We invite you to look, feel, and read the answers painted with a brush.
1. You moved from Ukraine to Greece. Show us a work that smells of the Greek wind and the colors of Thessaloniki that altered your palette.
2. Economics means structures and rules. Art is a flow. Show us a painting where these two elements exist in perfect balance.
3. Which of your works best illustrates the state when you were starting from scratch, entirely self-taught, searching for inner support?
4. Your "multi-perspective gaze" technique reveals the multitude of "selves" within one person. Show us a portrait where the internal struggle of subpersonalities has reached its peak.
5. We all wear social masks. Show us the image we present to society and what hides beneath it when the audience is gone.
6. You say that female strength can be gentle. Show us a piece where the softness of watercolor becomes stronger than metal.
7. Who is she, the modern warrior? Is she holding a sword or holding a pause? Show us her face.
8. In your portraits, light seems to emanate from within the subjects. Show us a work that radiates physical warmth and tactile sensuality.
9. Watercolor is unpredictable. Show us a painting that "painted itself," where the water dictated the form, and you merely followed its lead.
10. You strive for "refined simplicity." Show us a piece where a minimum of details creates maximum noise in the viewer's head.
11. Which painting are people most often afraid of?
12. Art should leave us with questions. Show us a work where even you still don't know the end of the story.
This visual dialogue is only the beginning of our immersion into the world of Yana Liubarska. The painting "Dive," which closes our interview, symbolizes a leap into the unknown—the place where new imagery and meanings are born.
We are certain that Yana's name will resonate on the international art scene many times over, and we are delighted that she is the one to launch our New Names special project.
Yana proves that watercolor can be monumental, and silence can be more eloquent than words. To see more of her work, keep up with new series, and stay informed about upcoming exhibitions, we highly recommend following the artist on social media.
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