For the greatest part of my life, I have been a professional violinist. Music brought me to the US, allowed me to travel, and connected me to exceptional artists of other disciplines. However, when I took a break from concertizing, I realized that music had become my identity. Without the violin, I was forced to explore what it truly means to be me.

I ended up teaching, taking science classes, starting a small business, and… painting. Sitting to paint is similar to sitting down to practice the violin: it is a transcendent experience, simultaneously inspired, analytical, and freeing. It truly feels like an extension of my artistic self, except, I am using different tools to express myself.

As a visual artist, I am a fan of pure abstraction; I find it timeless and very moving. My favorite approach to creating a new artwork is capturing elements of chance, and then taming the image to bring order and highlight the composition. I love contrasts - bright blocks of clashing colors vs. the striking absence of color, simplicity vs. textural complexity, or planned lines and corners vs. organic curves - but the contradicting elements are always in balance. The final image is never programmatic, even if its title is evocative. Sometimes, I even place numbers and words to trick the viewers into guessing a secret meaning where none exists; I like to poke fun at people who take art too seriously.  

These days I continue to play music, but I no longer strive for perfection. Rather, I am learning how to trust my unique voice. This search for authenticity is central to my life, regardless of the medium I choose to explore.