Pole Climbers Painting

Tatyana Ostapenko’s paintings record the daily lives of people who usually don’t make it into official historical records. She uses images from her native Ukraine to speak about universal human experiences. Her work expresses empathy and hope in the face of adversity. After a few years of working as a Russian-English interpreter while making art, Tatyana is delighted to dedicate herself to a full-time studio practice. In response to the pandemic, she has moved her studio to her dining room and has been using Instagram Live to paint while hosting conversations with other homebound artists. Tatyana’s artwork has been exhibited at the Geoje International Art Festival in South Korea, Odessa Contemporary Art Biennial in Ukraine, Governors Island Art Fair in NYC, Cape Cod Art Museum in Dennis, MA, Littman Gallery in Portland and Locker 50b in Richmond, VA. She is a recipient of Professional Development Grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council and the Oregon Arts Commission. Her paintings have been purchased by public, corporate and private collections, including the City of Seattle and Stumptown Coffee. Born and raised in the Soviet Union, Tatyana currently lives in Portland, OR. She holds a BFA in Studio Practice from Portland State University.