Svetlana Kanyo figurative artist

Artist statement

My name is Lana Kanyo, I am an artist and teacher. Today, I live and work in Canada but I grew up in the Ukraine during a period of dramatic political and social changes.

I grew up in a family with teachers and artists, but I only began to study art during my time in the University, when I had the privilege to learn from one of the country’s most well-known contemporary artists, Professor Makarenko.

Unfortunately a severe illness set me back from pursuing and developing my artistic skills and interests for many years. After several months in the hospital, God let me live but took my hearing. This was a very difficult time for me, but I learned what it meant to experience insecurity, anxiety, isolation and emotional darkness. . 

Few years ago, fate gave me a new chance by sending someone in my life who taught me to use my love for art to deal with my difficulties. Since then, many things have changed in my life but the most important thing is that now I understand the impact of positive feelings on everything that we do. 

I use my art as a way of expressing my emotions, capturing and holding all the beauty and pain of life. Art has allowed me to step back from what I have created, to learn something new about myself. The happiness I feel from doing this, helps create new experiences and as an art teacher I love to inspire people by using art, the same way art inspired me. 

I want the viewer to be able to identify themselves within my art. Once that happens, they have the faith that what they felt was real and justified. And isn't faith what all of us are looking for? Through art, people find their own peace and a better place for themselves in this world.