Tanya Gomelskaya
Tanya Gomelskaya was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1988 and emigrated to America at the age of 5. Her love for art developed early on. Between learning a new language and moving around for a while, she found comfort in communicating through artwork. Tanya went on to earn a BFA from SUNY Purchase University however, stopped painting soon after graduation to pursue work as a dental assistant. It wasn’t until a few years later, after moving to Jersey City and being surrounded by a thriving art community that she felt compelled to begin painting again full time. She has since exhibited her paintings around the country and currently works out of her studio in Central Jersey.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I have spent countless hours studying my hands. Watching the way my skin stretches over bone, how fingertips become almost translucent in the sunlight, discovering an entire color palette inside of a pinky nail, to say that I’m obsessed with painting skin is an understatement. I swoon over blemishes and lip hairs seeking for the truth and redefining what beauty means to me. Sometimes I’ll cut my brushes down to just a few hairs to capture the finest details that you would only notice if you’re standing inches away from the surface. I invite my viewers to take a closer look both literally and figuratively.
My paintings represent the way I’m attempting to navigate this world: balancing my anxieties and strengths, fear and bravery, self doubt and confidence all packed into a composed exterior. Seduced by the shadow self and the battle to overcome it, I want to capture raw, emotional, and vulnerable moments that might be hidden behind a glance, a subtle gesture as well as the moments more immediate and unconcealed. I want to take a completely human moment, give it center stage and dress it up with alluring details in hopes that the viewer will find it as beautiful as I do.