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Bohdanna Kesala: Decoding Threads of Memory
July 26 @ 12:00 pm - August 31 @ 5:00 pm
Free
Mercury 20 Gallery is pleased to present 2024 Juried Award Show Winner, Bohdanna Kesala’s work in the Backroom Gallery.
As a first-generation Ukrainian-American, Bohdanna Kesala was often told she was Ukrainian while everyone else was American, leaving her longing to fit in. Today, she cherishes her unique upbringing, steeped in a culture rich with history and tradition. A significant part of this tradition included wearing blouses and decorating homes with Ukrainian embroidery. Ukrainian embroidery is a code; each pattern is linked to a specific region of Ukraine and the colors hold meaning. This series of paintings is Kesals’s reflection on her childhood, an exploration of her ancestors, traditions, and the painful reality that her heritage is now being devastated by war.
Bohdanna Kesala has been painting since childhood. She grew up surrounded by art due to her parents’ avid art collecting. Despite this early exposure, she never envisioned art as the focus of her life. Raised in a family that valued security and wealth, she did not see art as a viable career path. Not until college did she realize art could play a central role in her life. During her freshman year, she took an English class that profoundly inspired her. Motivated by the subject matter, she created a painting and gave it to the professor. Months later, the professor returned the painting, explaining that he no longer needed it because he had used it as the cover for his book, “Teaching Hearts and Minds: College Students Reflect on the Vietnam War in Literature” by Barry M. Kroll. This positive affirmation marked a turning point for Kesala, prompting her to focus on painting, study it in college, and ultimately earn an MFA in Painting from San Francisco State University. Today, Kesala’s work is exhibited globally and featured in numerous public and private collections. Her work can also be viewed at Marin MOCA’s ART FWD: Inaugural Northern California Open Exhibition and Auction from July 13 – September 28, 2024; and Agora Gallery in New York City for the Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Collective Exhibition from August 21-28, 2024.
July 26 – August 31, 2024
Artists’ Reception: Saturday, August 10, 4 – 6 pm
Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: August 2, 5 – 9 pm
Image: Bohdanna Kesala, Who’s Winning, 2023, oil on linen, 20″ x 20″
