Luda Rodin – emerging self-taught artist and a mother of five children who lives and works in New York.
Her main field of research is the painting itself – how could we revisit it today and how can we use it to describe people's emotions and relationships? With her exploration of the naïve method, Luda is taking intuitive approach to color, line, and spatial relationships to convey emotion. Her painting tends to be both figurative and abstract to give a sense of sincere energy coming through.
Her aim is to transform the complexity of the relationships and feelings associated with them into the simplicity of meaning and lines and colors.
Her main field of research is the painting itself – how could we revisit it today and how can we use it to describe people's emotions and relationships? With her exploration of the naïve method, Luda is taking intuitive approach to color, line, and spatial relationships to convey emotion. Her painting tends to be both figurative and abstract to give a sense of sincere energy coming through.
Her aim is to transform the complexity of the relationships and feelings associated with them into the simplicity of meaning and lines and colors.
Luda Rodin
artist
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I had an opportunity to see Ms. Rodin's 3D paintings up close during an installation project for a buyer of her paintings. Ms. Rodin's work is reminiscent of Warhol's pattern paintings from decades ago with a further weaving of lines between art and design. Brilliant!
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How often do you notice butterflies?
In October 2022, Venice, Italy will host Luda Rodin's exhibition "Monarch's Dreams", project is a picturesque exploration of how the fragility of ecosystems and systems, in general, entails the destruction of social relationships and spiritual guidelines and practices.
We got to know the artist better and asked her a few questions.
In October 2022, Venice, Italy will host Luda Rodin's exhibition "Monarch's Dreams", project is a picturesque exploration of how the fragility of ecosystems and systems, in general, entails the destruction of social relationships and spiritual guidelines and practices.
We got to know the artist better and asked her a few questions.
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- How did art come into your life? Why did you choose this particular area?
- I always loved drawing and watercolor painting. I even attended art school while studying in high school. My deeper need for art and to paint came while I was raising my five children. Art became a wonderful outlet for children to express themselves and diversity education for them. During that time I started painting with oil on canvas. I love art and collected some paintings of artists I love.
- When you create paintings, you are working with your energy. How does this happen? Do you have any rituals?
- While raising a big family I had to learn to do a lot of thing fast, you need to accomplish a lot during short time to meet a lot of needs/wants of the family. I think I felt I need to finish my paintings during one lesson. Later I understood that I had some emotions that I held inside and needed to come out this way - on canvas. A lot of time I think about the subject of what I want to paint and then I put it on canvas already pre planned in my head. And lately I express my emotions in the form of butterflies. I don't have any particular rituals, except that I need space and time uninterrupted and by myself, so I can understand my feelings and express them in colors and forms.
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In this body of works, I explore themes of community, individuality, relationship, and connection through bold, simplistic, and larger-than-life Monarch butterflies. With these pieces I am working on to inspire joy and reflection; the butterflies are a beautiful sight to behold, yet one that is endangered and fleeting. For me, butterflies are a testament to hope, rebirth, and authenticity.
- Your paintings are very bright, tell us what colors mean to you?
- I didn't yet think about that. I don't choose color thinking about color, I choose color matching it to my emotions or feelings. Hard to say what any color means to me. I would need to analyze my own paintings and remember what made me paint that way and that color, and understand why I chose these colors. It's good to think about it in future. I believe that emotions and feelings come with colors.
- How do the themes of your works and the plots of the canvases arise?
- Usually I see something that inspires me, I take picture, think about it, and then I paint it. Except for angels. I didn't see them, and I didn't take pictures of them, of course. With butterflies for example, I first planted the bush in my backyard that attracts butterflies, just to see if that's going to happen. And year and a half later the butterflies came and stayed on that bush for several days. About 40 of them came. They were beautiful! I took many pictures and videos of them. And first I wanted to show the life of butterflies, not realizing underlying desire to show their communal living and their relational nature. And my desire to bring attention to them not only as to beautiful creatures but to their beauty of life and their importance in our communal life, and how important they are to our wellbeing.
- We know that you are involved in charity, can you tell more? What drives you?
- If someone likes my art and I can use it to help others - I am happy to do so. In fact, I am looking for opportunities like that. Now, that I started painting butterfly and flamingo murals, I am looking for 'walls with purpose'. There are so many ugly walls around. I am happy to turn them into butterflies! Visual is so important, and it makes difference if we look at something that is just plain or something that is pleasant and makes us feel good, positive. Butterflies symbolize hope, rebirth, new life - that is very important for the community in Miami (where I painted a mural) that is really trying hard to get themselves into a better place.
When I paint mural with butterflies I feel that I am becoming a voice for someone who can't speak , I am giving an opportunity for people to pay attention to someone/something that they don't notice in their everyday life, and giving voice to the communities that are not noticed, that are struggling and trying hard to get out of their struggles on their own. I also feel that these murals can bring them hope, dreams, new positive ways of thinking and bring them to a better life.
When I paint mural with butterflies I feel that I am becoming a voice for someone who can't speak , I am giving an opportunity for people to pay attention to someone/something that they don't notice in their everyday life, and giving voice to the communities that are not noticed, that are struggling and trying hard to get out of their struggles on their own. I also feel that these murals can bring them hope, dreams, new positive ways of thinking and bring them to a better life.
- Tell us a little about the upcoming exhibition and maybe plans for the future?
- I am very excited about my first solo upcoming exhibition in Venice! The building where the exhibition is going to be held is historic and unique. I am craving to paint more and become more established artist, and I am happy to present my art to people.
I know that Venice is a heart for the most amazing sophisticated art, and it is a huge honor for me to present my exhibition here. I appreciate amazing team working with me on that and the vision of curator Andrey Parshikov for that.
I know that Venice is a heart for the most amazing sophisticated art, and it is a huge honor for me to present my exhibition here. I appreciate amazing team working with me on that and the vision of curator Andrey Parshikov for that.
- Can you draw your portrait on paper right now? How do you see yourself?
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Ludmila! She is victorious in the world of arts and it is quite rare. Her work captured all: the colour, form and lines. This artist knows how to speak to the universe, and she does so in her language.
The exhibition Monarch's dream is prepared with the support of Amber Lion
