ARTIST STATEMENT
I am drawn to the timeless quality of image making and its ability to communicate on a level that words cannot. As a storyteller at heart, I employ symbolic imagery to tell those stories. The symbols in my work are usually implied and are not always used in a literal sense. Rather they are private, imaginative images that arise from the depth of the psyche and embrace the surreal quality of dreams, fantasies and premonitions.
My paintings are like dreams and distant memories – not fully realized, sometimes confusing, and sometimes absurd. Each painting is an attempt to recollect and make sense of my subconscious mind, offering not a singular statement but a kaleidoscope of possible meanings and interpretations that can be infinitely discovered.
BIO
Alla Bartoshchuk is a Ukrainian-born American artist and educator based in Southern California. Born in Rivne, Ukraine in 1988, she moved to the United States in 2005. She earned her BFA in Painting from Memphis College of Art in 2010 and her MFA in Painting from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2013.
Alla maintains an active studio practice alongside a robust teaching career. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Oceanside Museum of Art, the MEAM Museum in Barcelona, and the Laguna Art Museum. Her paintings have been featured in numerous publications, such as Fine Art Connoisseur, Southwest Art Magazine, and Poets and Artists. She is a finalist in multiple Art Renewal Center Salons and a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant.
With over a decade of teaching experience, Alla has taught at institutions including Laguna College of Art and Design, MiraCosta College, California State University Long Beach, and Santiago Canyon College. Her teaching emphasizes technical skill, conceptual development, and inclusive classroom practices.