Katarina Tkaczyszyn

Lives and works in Mississauga, ON, Canada

Artist statement

I am a Ukrainian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist working in public performance, installation, and electronic media. Since 2012, my practice has focused on creating site-responsive, ephemeral works that intervene directly with the public realm. Conceptually, I am drawn to the temporal nature of life and the ontological questions arising from the tension between impermanence and the human desire for longevity. My work critically examines the ways in which beings seek acknowledgment during their lifetime, and how meaning is often shaped through external recognition. Many of my projects are intentionally short-lived; disappearing, transitioning, or decomposing after they appear. I frequently utilize materials sourced from nature due to their predisposition toward decay. These materials function as metaphors for transformation and the cyclical processes that ultimately define existence. I am deeply interested in how identity is formed, negotiated, and at times disrupted. My practice often questions the conditions under which individuals are authorized to express themselves or impose narratives upon others. I see identity as fluid; constantly evolving, and often complicated by the presence of unsolicited or external perspectives. Through my work, I explore the nuanced interplay between agency and external influence, and orchestrate processes that facilitate the witnessing and acknowledgment of subjects - be they human, material, or environmental - as sites of significance,...

Artwork