Lucky Charms
Christina Saj
81 Leonard Gallery Windows,
On view from December 8th, 2022 through January 19th, 2023
Closing reception Thursday, January 19th 6:30-8:30 PM, RSVP
81 Leonard Gallery is pleased to present PAUSE: Lucky Charms, a solo exhibition of recent paintings by Ukrainian-American artist Christina Saj. On view in the gallery windows and online from December 8th, 2022 through January 19th, 2023, PAUSE: Lucky Charms explores the perception of magic implicit in talismans and symbols as well as the ontological nature of spirituality.
Saj first started developing this body of work during the initial 2020 quarantine, painting at home on salvaged vinyl records. In the aftermath of the pandemic and amid both political divisions and one global atrocity after another, Saj, an optimist at heart, has been inevitably drawn to images of the talisman which provide a source of hope through dark times. Seeing the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the current war with Russia and having grown up among immigrants who experienced unthinkable horrors during World War II, Saj has found herself immersed in an investigation of strength and spirit, manifested visually through symbol, pattern, and a color palette that ranges from bright to moody.
Containing recognizable and cross-culturally significant symbols, such as constellations and lotus flowers, Saj’s work speaks to the universality of good luck charms and the power of an object or image. Whether one regards these symbols with sentimentality, blind faith, or sheer belief, there is an undeniable mysticism surrounding them. Saj further investigates this enigma through references to Ukrainian folklore, such as in Forest Flower, which draws upon the traditional story by that same name (Tsvit Paporoti in Ukrainian). Legend has it that one who finds the flower that only blooms for the summer solstice on the longest night of the year will have happiness forever; though, the finder cannot tell anyone of their discovery. Thus begets the question, how will anyone know if the flower really exists?
While other pieces, like Golden Web and Spirits in the Garden, contain less specific references, Saj’s language of abstraction prevails throughout the work. Layering patterns, textures, and shapes with both airbrush and gesture, the artist crafts compositions evoking the transcendental. Through abstraction and symbolism, both real and imagined, Saj’s paintings become new talismans themselves. The artist calls them an “urban lexicon of lucky charms.”
Christina Saj is a Ukrainian American artist based in New Jersey. Her work has been widely exhibited, including such venues as the Museum of Biblical Art, The National Cathedral, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, Union Theological Seminary, The Ukrainian Museum in New York, The Museum of Cultural Heritage (Kiev, Ukraine), The National Museum in Lviv (Ukraine), the American Embassy in Qatar, as well as at the White House. Her works resides in private and museum collections in the US and abroad. Saj holds a BA in Painting from Sarah Lawrence and an MFA from Bard College in addition to studying Byzantine Art History at Oxford University.
Forty percent of proceeds from works sold in PAUSE: Lucky Charms will benefit Razom, supporting their efforts to provide humanitarian war relief in Ukraine, help local volunteer organizations, and advocate for policies that strengthen and support Ukraine. Visit razomforukraine.org for more information.
Artwork is available for purchase. Please inquire via email or Artsy
