sofia yalalova

Sofia Yalalova. Born in 1980 in Orenburg, Russia, where she spent most of her childhood and youth. Here she graduated from the Orenburg State Institute of Arts with a degree in painting and soon after joined the Artists Trade Union of Russia. In 2006 she moved to Moscow, where she completed the course in "New Artistic Strategies" at the Joseph Backstein Institute of Contemporary Art. She currently lives and works in Moscow.

Yalalova's work touches upon the theme of personality development under the influence of the environment, external factors, the inner world and her own experience. Specifically, how the physical, spiritual and mental aspects of a personality contribute to her growth as an individual. The external simplicity of the images highlight the artist's concentration on a certain feeling, impression and desire for a minimalist formula.

The vast bright spaces of color in Yalalova's work create a conflict between personality and emptiness, inviting one to reflect upon existence in the context of infinity.

The fusion of painting practices and digital content is emphasized in the rough texture of the canvas, reminiscent of screen pixels. This approach is of importance to the artist, as it refers back to traditions and at the same time is very fragile. Yalalova shows particular interest when it comes to the interaction of living matter with artificial light emitted from screens. "I would like to provoke the viewer into an internal dialogue with oneself and raise a question about our place in the world."