Currently on view at The Ukrainian Museum, one of NYCs almost hidden treasures, is Finding Sanctuary During the Pandemic, an installation by Christina Saj.  

In the catalog for the exhibition she writes, “At the beginning of the quarantine, glued to news outlets, barraged by images of the virus, feeling vulnerable and confused and stuck at home, as an artist my response was to start painting.” Known for her richly patterned abstractions steeped in the tradition of icon painting, she drew upon her cultural heritage and her artistic training in egg temper for this installation of paintings done in acrylic on vinyl LPs. This body of work, which includes over 200 pieces, evokes mandalas, which, she says, can be used to facilitate meditation and provide sacred space.

Installed in the museum’s front gallery, which is enclosed by glass walls, thirty or more of these iconic pieces offer stations for close observation and connection to a place other than where the viewer might sense themselves to be on arriving. The silence in this walled off room creates an almost otherworldly aura that promotes a moment of respite from the pressing concerns of the world outside its windows.

Finding Sanctuary During the Pandemic by Christina Saj remains on view while the museum awaits the arrival of photographs from Ukraine about current conditions there. Call 212.228.0110 for information; your call will be answered. The Ukrainian Museum, 222 East 6^th Street, New York, NY Info Watch a video of Christina talking about the work here Photos ©Peggy Roalf