Katerina Sopelkina

In my work, I dive into the unseen and intangible—realities that go beyond what we can physically sense. I’ve always been fascinated by how illusions, perceptions, and dreams can sometimes feel more vivid and meaningful than the world we experience every day. They challenge our understanding of what’s "real." This intersection between imagination and reality has always drawn me in, but after the war changed my life forever, it took on a whole new depth.

When my homeland, Ukraine, was invaded, it felt like reality itself was torn apart. The world I once knew crumbled into chaos. Living with fear, uncertainty, and the constant threat of violence forced me to confront the fragility of life, as well as the deeper layers of existence that go beyond just the material. Sitting in bomb shelters, hearing the explosions, I went through an emotional and psychological shift. I realized that life isn’t just about what’s around us physically—it’s also about the complex inner landscape of the mind and spirit. Fear, hope, and everything in between shape our reality just as much as anything we can touch or see.

In that environment, I started to notice how the intangible—the feelings, the imagination—felt even more real than the world outside. Dreams, visions, and even illusions became not only a way to escape, but also a way to make sense of what was happening. Through my art, I try to capture these fleeting glimpses of that inner reality where imagination and the profound meet, and where the line between dreams and the physical world becomes blurred.

The war has deeply impacted how I see reality. It’s shown me that life extends far beyond the physical world into the realms of the soul, memory, and imagination. In these spaces, dreams and illusions aren’t just distortions—they’re an essential part of what it means to be human, offering us insights into the unseen aspects of our existence. My art is my way of navigating these spaces, capturing moments when the invisible becomes visible, and when the unexplainable reveals the true depth of our human experience.