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.”
Artwork is available for purchase. Please inquire via email.