Layers

Olga Yulikova

All Angels Against War

Layers of memory, layers of meaning, layers of paint, these are the key ingredients in my paintings. They are inspired by my travels, my friends, books I read, stories I hear. They reflect my hope and longing. They are made up of all my personal history, my infatuations, secrets and hang-ups. The paint is just a safe medium I use in order to share my secrets. Some pieces are more coded (and coated) and layered than others.

All Angels Against War (oil on linen, 2003) for example was my reaction to the beginning of the war in Iraq. I was very much against it, and was just returning from Italy where the peace "Pace" flags were waving everywhere in the protest against the American invasion. On that trip I visited a church in Verona with the most exquisite recently restored frescos that were once ruined during an ancient war. The crumbling images of saints and warriors were so beautiful and sad, and the entire walls were chiseled with what looked like bullet holes. Explained the helpful attendant of the museum, these were the marks made by some older weapons. These holes, these symmetrical marks were more detrimental than the time that ages frescos. I thought I had to use this effect in my antiwar paintings somehow.

My favorite artist Friedrich Hundertwasser once said that 'the arts have at least the duty to give people hope and show them beautiful paths along which they can go.' I sincerely hope that my work offers a window to a path I think is worth taken.

Resume

Commissions and Public Art Experience:

2003

Frisoli Youth Center Mural Project: Cambridge, MA, project funded by the city of Cambridge, MA

2001

Condolence Card Project: Organized and executed a "Condolence Card" Project as a response to the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. A series of large plywood cards are placed in Faneuil Hall, Boston City Hall, Brookline Town Hall, Brookline High School, all of eight Brookline elementary schools, Brookline Art Center, Brookline Public Library and the Arcade Building at Coolidge Corner for people to sign. Some of these cards are being sent from the City of Boston and the Town of Brookline to the Mayor's Office in New York. Project funded by the Mayor's office of Neighborhood Services of the Boston City Hall and the Town Hall of Brookline.

Unity Through Diversity: Organized and executed a "Unity Through Diversity" - Brookline Youth Community Mural Project with the students of Brookline High School. Worked closely with the New American Youth at Risk Group of about 25 teens mostly from the former Soviet Union and Israel. The intent of the project was to give these teens a meaningful and non-threatening opportunity for self-expression while getting exposed to the American cultural and moral values. The project was funded by the Brookline Community Fund and BBSDF of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies. This large scale ( 30 feet x 18 feet) mural is located at Coolidge Corner, 256 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA.

2000

Increasing Racial Tolerance Decreasing Racial Slur: Commissioned by Benjamin Franklin Middle School with the funding by the San Francisco City Arts Commission and the San Francisco Public Library Commission to design and direct a community mural project entitled "Increasing Racial Tolerance Decreasing Racial Slur." Working closely with 7th and 8th grade students, as well as the larger school and the Western Addition Neighborhood community. Mural is on the facade of the Western Addition Public Library Building in San Francisco, CA.

Art Room: Commissioned by the St. Vincent De Paul Society to direct, design and paint an indoor "Art Room" mural for Brennan House, a transitional house for battered women and children in San Francisco, CA. Worked with children residents ages 3-13, their mothers and staff on the community mural.

1999

Il Borgo: Interior design for the Italian restaurant Il Borgo in San Francisco, CA. This commission involved a tromp l'oeil mural, construction and decoration of the tables, menus and identity for it.

The Song of the Spirit: Collaborative project with Precita Eye Mural Center in San Francisco. Designed and painted a 30' x 11' portion of a larger mural title "The Song of The Spirit" on the facade of the Student Union Building at the City College of San Francisco.

Scottish landscapes: Commissioned to design and paint the "Scottish landscapes" window display for a Travel Agency. Berkeley, CA.

1998

LYRIC float: Designed and implemented the LYRIC's Float Decoration for the 1998 San Francisco Gay Pride Parade. Worked closely with the homeless and at-risk gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth (ages 14-23) to create the float.

Polaroid Stories: Participated in conceptual design of the Set Stage for the production of "Polaroid Stories" at the Intersection for the Arts. Naomi Iizuka's modern adaptation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses."

Children's Play Room Mural: Designed and implemented Children's Play Room Mural at the Riley Center of the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Working closely with the children residents (ages 3-14), of the emergency shelter for battered women and children. I created a 360 degrees mural, as well as restored and decorated the furniture to integrate into the theme.

1997

Painted a Mural in the Noe Beaver Community Mini Garden. The mural of sunflowers reaching out to a stylized sun was painted on the wooden steps and the sitting area inside the garden. San Francisco.

Participated in L'Arte della Strada, a side walk painting festival in Fisherman's Wharf. San Francsco.

1996

Set Stage Design and Costumes for the production of the children's play "Jack and the Beanstalk" with Community Garden, a joint project with John Muir School in Kushner Park. San Francisco.

Built an environmental sculpture "Lovers on Luna Lake," an on-site 8 feet tall clay sculpture in Death Valley, Nevada.

Teaching Experience

Current

Arlington Center for the Arts: Oil and advanced watercolor painting.

Brookline Art Center: 3D class, adult watercolor pleine air painting for seniors.

Braintree Art Association: Pleine Aire watercolor class for seniors.

JCC Brighton: Children's art classes.

Private classes in pleine air oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting.

1996

Russian Folk Art Workshop at the Richmond Neighbour hood Art Center. San Francisco, CA

'94-'95

Zoogang Ceramics Gallery: Madrid, NM. Retail and Gallery Assistant at an avant-garde ceramic sculpture gallery. Assisted artists by glazing their pieces and preparing exhibits.

St. John's College, Pottery Studio: Santa Fe, NM. Teacher's Assistant. Assisted the artist during classes, recycled and conditioned clay, prepared glazes and stains, did general studio maintenance.

'93-'94'

Santa Fe Children's Museum: Assistant Manager. Teaching in a non-classroom setting. Organized and supervised volunteer work, assisted artists during classes, maintained the exhibits, gift-store, green-house, animals and birds.

Recent Shows

2003

Gibbs Gallery, Arlington, MA: Archaeological Digs. Two women show of recent paintings.

2002

Brookline Art Center: All Buddha's Men solo show of recent paintings.

2001

Brickbottom Gallery: "7/11" group show of eleven Boston artists. Somerville, MA

2000

SOMAR Gallery: Group Show "Women Through the Ages." San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Womens Art Gallery: Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA.

Images Gallery: Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA. Watercolor paintings.

1999

Enrico's Jazz Club: San Francisco. One woman show of recent paintings.

Border's Bookstore: Union Square, San Francisco. Show of recent paintings.

1998

Lawrence L. Hultberg Fine Arrt Gallery: San Francisco. Group show "Summer Salone."

1997

Artist Television Access: Group Show "Visitations."

Academy of Art College Gallery: "Selection-97"

1996

San Francisco Open Studios.

Santa Fe Clay Gallery: Santa Fe, NM. Group show of the studio artists.

Distinctions/Awards

2000

San Francisco Women's Art Gallery: Merit Award for painting at the "Fire and Ice" group show.

1997

San Francisco Foundation Award for the Logo Design Competition for the San Francisco Foundation. Selected as a semi-finalist.

L'Arte della Strada Award: Selected as one of four finalists in the competition for best painting.

ArtSpan: "Selection - '97," an annual juried exhibition of the work of 20 artists, chosen out of over 600 Bay Area artists

Education

'84-'89

Moscow Medical School. Moscow, Russia.

'89-'91

Boston University. Boston, MA. Bachelor of Arts, biology. Graduated magna cum laude.

'94-'95

St. John's College Graduate Institute. Santa Fe, NM. Master of Arts, Great Books of Western Civilization program.

'98-'99

City College of San Francisco. San Francisco, CA. Art student.