Oksana Sadovnyk

Year of birth: 1967
Your education: Three higher education degrees, two in medical fields, over a dozen various courses in handicrafts and beyond; International School of Contemporary Creativity (textured painting).
Describe your art in three words: Eco unconventional, mysterious, dynamic
Your discipline: Aroma paintings, textured painting in interior design, knitted paintings
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Oksana Sadovnyk, Moonlight, 2024

How did your passion for painting develop during your childhood, and how has it evolved over the years?

In childhood, like most children, I loved drawing in kindergarten. There were daily creativity lessons. After kindergarten, art lessons became mandatory and one of my favorites in school. I participated in art contests dedicated to various dates and events. Later, there was a brief pause—during my time at university, I didn’t have time for drawing. Some bursts of creativity appeared at the start of my professional life when I helped students create wall newspapers. In 2023, I decided to try my hand at textured painting, and I really enjoyed it.

What inspired you to use propolis as a medium in your art?

My return to creativity began with beekeeping. I wanted to do something non-standard yet unusual. Propolis is an extraordinary, highly beneficial, and unique beekeeping product with abundant healing properties. Not everyone can consume beekeeping products internally, as some people experience allergic reactions. To avoid such reactions, the effect of aromatherapy is used. The body receives therapeutic benefits through the phytoncides of propolis.

Oksana Sadovnyk, Antigravity, 2023

Could you share more about the process of working with propolis? Is it challenging compared to other materials?

Yes, working with propolis is more challenging. Propolis must be carefully collected. While working with bees, you learn about nature, the significance, and the value of all bee products. I practiced beekeeping for eight years and am a third-generation beekeeper (my grandfather, father, and I). Propolis is very capricious and specific to work with. Its composition is unique; scientists still cannot recreate it artificially. The substance consists of 200 constant elements and 50–100 variable ones, including resinous components, waxes, essential and aromatic oils, flower pollen, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and bioflavonoids.

How do your viewers typically react to the aroma and concept of your “healing” paintings?

Audience reactions to the perception of the paintings are mixed, as some of them are abstract, inviting imagination. Only after inhaling the aroma does a certain bewilderment and surprise appear on people’s faces. Unfortunately, people generally have a low understanding of what bee products are, and of the importance of propolis for human health in particular.

Oksana Sadovnyk, Sunset

Do you think eco-friendly and health-oriented art will become a larger trend in the art world?

Like art as a whole, eco-friendly and health-oriented art will likely not become a rapidly spreading trend at first. However, it has the right to exist. A discerning person will notice it and allow themselves to acquire such a piece of art.

What are your future plans as an artist? Are there any new mediums or themes you are interested in exploring?

There are many plans for the future. I prefer to complete a piece first and then present it as a finished work. There is much to learn and many new ideas and materials to incorporate into my creativity—new themes and new materials. What some are used to throwing away and polluting nature with, others can repurpose to create eco-artworks.

Would you consider collaborating with other artists to further the concept of art that benefits well-being?

To collaborate with other artists and promote the ideas of health-beneficial art, it is essential to connect with such masters. I hope that magazine publications, participation in exhibitions, and international competitions will help me find like-minded individuals for creating eco and aroma paintings.

Oksana Sadovnyk, I believe I can fly, 2023