Tudors Installation

Mira Hnatyshyn is a Texas-based painter of Eastern European heritage who uses art as a visual language to explore issues of culture, gender and human behavior. Mira's work has been collected by the Saatchi Gallery in London and was featured recently in New American Paintings (#96 West Edition). She dedicated herself to painting in 1999 after a career as an art director in Washington D.C. She holds an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a BS in Advertising and Design from the University of Maryland. She also has taught at UTSA, the Southwest School of Art and ArtPace. Mira lives and works in San Antonio, TX and divides her time between painting, teaching and family. ARTIST STATEMENT In my work, I seek to create a visual context for the tension between appearance and reality. Reflecting my interest in patterns of socio-cultural development over time, I present narratives that draw from both history and contemporary events. In the juxtaposition, I seek to create a shared understanding of the metaphysics behind the images - a peek behind the curtains at our shared humanity. My method rejects traditional definition although it remains grounded in formal training. It mixes the classical aspects of oil painting with the visceral techniques of installation art. Fragments of information are woven throughout the work, which has broken away from its traditional frame; the canvas is nailed directly to the wall, or folded, or pushed into the viewer’s physical space. Sculpted fabric pieces positioned at the foot of the canvas create a path that encourages interaction. Found fabrics and other objects are laced into the surfaces, and my frequent use of brown quilting fabric is a visual homage to the tradition of telling stories through quilt making.