Break the silence 1: I am alive. Painting

Tatsiana Yelistratava is a self-taught contemporary expressionist artist working with bold colors, emotional contrasts, and mixed-media collage. Her art is built on the belief that color can speak when words fail. She combine vivid paint strokes with layers of symbols, fragments of text, photographs, and patterns to create portraits and animal figures that reflect the complexity of human experience. "My work explores the inner world of women — their strength, vulnerability, silence, rebellion, and transformation. Many of my pieces investigate themes such as emotional abuse, identity loss, and the psychological impact of living with a partner affected by bipolar disorder. Through my portraits, I give shape to experiences that are often hidden or difficult to articulate, revealing both the pain and the resilience behind them." The women in her paintings are surrounded by messages: some oppressive, some liberating. They become symbolic storytellers, carrying the weight of expectations, judgment, and trauma — yet they always look directly at the viewer with a sense of clarity and truth. Her animal works, such as my vibrant tigers, represent personal power and fearless self-expression. The artist have been creating art for over 10 years and have sold works to private collectors internationally. As a self-taught artist, she see each canvas as a journey of intuitive discovery. Her goal is to create art that resonates emotionally, encourages reflection, and offers viewers a sense of connection and empowerment. Tattiana Yelistratava is a painter and printmaker based in Egypt whose works have been widely exhibited nationally.