I love books. Russian books. The sad, poignant stories that seem to be longer than Russian winters. But always, within all of the existential anguish, there is hope. In sorrow, happiness can still be found—and this draws me in. Through books, I explore this theme across cultures: Phillis Wheatley, Saint Augustine, Victor Hugo. As an artist, I want to translate this kind of cultural storytelling into visual form, discovering ways to give shape to cultural stories of happiness and sorrow.

I work primarily with oil paint. The rounded trees and distinct plant shapes allude to traditional Eastern Orthodox art. The filtered light draws from Russian Impressionist painters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The architecture is intentional: detailed, yet humble. Culture is reflected in the architecture, and this is a recurring theme throughout all of my work.

This painting was made in response to Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Father Zosima is shown reading outside his skete near Kozelsk. Just as he is a spiritual guide to Alyosha Karamazov, Zosima is a spiritual guide to me. His wisdom, “In sorrow, seek happiness,” is seen in the painting’s shadows and light in the foreground and the blues and yellows in the sky. This piece grew out of reflection. While reading, I realized that the happiness Zosima speaks of is found in loving one another—love that gives hope in a world of sorrow.