Tatiana Lisovskaya is no stranger to the arts. Her new artwork debuted in New York City at the beginning of December and is currently featured at the Norwood Club as part of the exhibit, “Harriet” (in honor of Harriet Tubman). She was selected by the curator, Rodrigo Salomon of the Salomon Art Gallery. The Ukrainian musician, composer and former model is known for her stunning piano-based score that soared over Julian Schnabel’s 2018 biopic of Vincent van Gogh (played by Willem Dafoe), At Eternity’s Gate. Not only is she a brilliant pianist but a violinist as well: Music, she says, comes naturally to her (as she’s practiced seriously since childhood). Along with her role as exhibiting visual artist at the Norwood, she is also slated to play the part of “surprise-featured music artist” and will perform a violin solo at the opening.

Her oil and acrylic paintings all start with a pastel study and, then, become larger, more intricate creations. With the use of raw space, her paintings expose the canvas (literally) and almost resemble tiles, stained glass or something tied together with string. With a background in fashion she, understandably, started her visual art career painting studies of women modeling.  These past several months in quarantine have proven artistically fruitful as she’s created an entire series of works inspired by abstract realism.

Lisovskaya has, throughout the past several years, spent a great deal of time studying art and, with Julian Schnabel as a close friend and sort of mentor, observed certain techniques of artistic discipline all over the world. Her earlier works (from 2017-18) include a portrait done in shades of green depicting Schnabel posed with his young son sitting on his lap along with tactile works made from an organic process using poured paint. Other works that have helped shape Lisovskaya’s current technique include paintings complete with cut-outs and Surrealist symbolism (think of eyes à la Louise Bourgeois and collage-inspired practice reminiscent of Matisse).

Her newest spatial art includes flamboyant images of flowers and nature, such as “Pink Blossom,” (20″ x 24″, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020) and “Pink Flower,” (24″ x 30″, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020) as well as portraiture evocative of Francis Picabia (“Spinning Model,” 24″ x 24″, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020).

Solitary efforts inspired by the loneliness of Covid-19 and lockdown, these paintings play with perception and are surprisingly playful considering the precarious circumstances in which they were produced. With “Marijuana” (24″ x 24″, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020), we see hazy, almost hallucinogenic plumes spiraling upward in unexpected colors (very apropos of progressive substance legality and wellness) and are ultimately dazzled.