Meditations was born through continued study and exploration of various natural and historic elements. While primary source of inspiration was New York and it's myriad of sidewalks intricately stenciled with delicate outlines of cracks one can easily recognize meanderings of rivers as seen from above. It seems nature is determined to draw it's own shapes on own as well as man - made surfaces. It's as if those lines are already there and she simply moulds the surface to imprint her lines upon it.  

This series is also largely influenced by early Islamic art and architecture. Many artifacts from Iraq and 10th century Samarkand, Uzbekistan discovered at the beginning of the 20th century bear sparse design elements, often a single line of text running across the diameter of a plate or a commemorative structure. An ancient Zoroastrian tomb of Gonbar-I Qabus is a perfect example of the above-mentioned architectural design traditions during the Seljuk period in the Middle East.   

The desire to combine such seemingly distant influences prompted the initial conceptual investigation and possibilities of the pictorial language for the series. Austerity, so uncharacteristic of most of my other work, is essential to Meditations. Compositional balance and equilibrium of each drawing are achieved through careful study if the surface, upon which the ink is applied: it's texture, shape, size, proportions and a determination of the intensity and rhythm of each line that appears within the bounds of each piece.

The series is also partially inspired by an unforgettable exhibition of works by Leon Ferrari and Mira Schendel I saw at the MoMA some years back. In fact the initial push to work with a line was first recognized there. Ferrari's seemingly random elongated and pooled ink clots not unlike stretched shadows of ballerinas were nothing less than a revelation. A whole new dimension of possibility was suddenly revealed. The choice of ink on paper is also Ferrari's influence. The simplicity of these two basic elements was crucial to the look of the series.

Kristina Nazarévskaia