BODY TALKS

YANA RITS

MARCH 12 – MARCH 16

‘We, as humans, carry within ourselves all angels of heaven alongside every demon of hell blending one with the other, a cocktail complementary to circumstances and personal tastes. This impermanence is as infinite as it is beautiful. The human personality is rich and iridescent like an artfully cut diamond, and it is the diversity of these innumerable facets that I try to reflect in my works’.   Yana Rits

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, London based artist Yana Rits’ photography and cinematography combines the sublime moral character and rich cultural heritage of these beautiful cities. In her photographic practice, the artist uses her own body to study not only concepts of time, form, and space but also the whole gamut of human existence – from cultural aspects such as religion, gender and racial privilege to more primal ones like sexuality and age.

The beauty, harmony and fragility of the human body, male or female, are the focus of the artist’s work and they represent an incomparable tool for the embodiment of philosophical themes. The use of a single model in various hypostases united in a single-frame allows the artist to achieve the effect of presence in several spatial planes simultaneously, thus transferring the idea of unity in a single moment in time. The technique of black and white allows the artist to create a language of metaphors and abstractions – the image thus becomes a means to establish a conversation between the viewer and the artist’s inner universe.

The exhibition will be held in conjunction with SMart Network, the arts-based registered charity which helps homeless and socially marginalised individuals to regain a sense of purpose using creative expression. Some of the proceeds of the exhibition sales will be generously donated by Rits as a way to raise valuable funds to promote existing art projects and to inspire the creation of new ones.

Being an artist myself, I find it crucial to utilise art in supporting others, who’s life circumstances do not allow them to express themselves or even fulfil their basic human needs of food and shelter.  I would be very proud to help SMart in their work of raising funds and awareness of the issues of homeless people. I find it very important that art can play an active role and serve the most vulnerable people, help rediscover themselves, find new meaning in their life and get back on their feet again.I find it very important that art can play an active role and serve the most vulnerable people, help rediscover themselves, find new meaning in their life and get back on their feet again.

 – Yana Rits (March 02, 2019)