"THIS EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER TWO INTERCONNECTED SERIES THAT EXPLORE THE JOURNEY TOWARD SELF-ACCEPTANCE THROUGH THE LANGUAGE OF THE HUMAN BODY.
THE FIRST SERIES, THE THRESHOLD, IS ROOTED IN A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF PAIN, YET IT REACHES BEYOND AUTOBIOGRAPHY. THE PAINTINGS EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING ON AN INNER TRANSITION, WHEN THE OLD WAY OF MOVING THROUGH LIFE IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE, BUT THE NEXT STEP HAS NOT YET BECOME CLEAR. A THRESHOLD IS NOT SIMPLY SOMETHING TO CROSS. IT IS A PLACE OF HESITATION, REFLECTION, AND CHANGE. THE SERIES OFFERS SUCH A SPACE, WHERE VIEWERS ARE INVITED TO ENCOUNTER THEMSELVES THROUGH MOMENTS OF UNCERTAINTY, RESISTANCE, AND ACCEPTANCE. THE PAINTINGS REMAIN OPEN TO PERSONAL INTERPRETATION.
THE SECOND SERIES, THE TOUCH, CONTINUES THIS JOURNEY FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. IF THE THRESHOLD EXPLORES AN INNER TRANSFORMATION, THE TOUCH EXPLORES HOW WE COME TO KNOW BOTH THE WORLD AND OURSELVES THROUGH TOUCH. CONCEIVED AS A SINGLE VISUAL SEQUENCE, THE PAINTINGS UNFOLD THROUGH A SERIES OF GESTURES THAT REFLECT DIFFERENT WAYS OF ENCOUNTERING, UNDERSTANDING, AND RELATING TO THE WORLD AROUND US. A CONTINUOUS RED LINE RUNS THROUGH THE SERIES, LINKING THE WORKS WHILE CARRYING A HIDDEN FIGURE. ITS MEANING UNFOLDS GRADUALLY, REWARDING VIEWERS WHO TAKE THE TIME TO FOLLOW IT FROM ONE PAINTING TO THE NEXT.
ALTHOUGH THE TWO SERIES FOCUS ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY, THEY SPEAK ABOUT THE SAME EXPERIENCE. FEET CARRY US THROUGH MOMENTS OF CHANGE, WHILE HANDS ALLOW US TO REACH, HOLD, AND RETURN TO OURSELVES. TOGETHER, THEY SUGGEST THAT SELF-ACCEPTANCE UNFOLDS GRADUALLY THROUGH DIFFICULT STEPS, QUIET GESTURES, AND THE WILLINGNESS TO REMAIN PRESENT THROUGH UNCERTAINTY. THE EXHIBITION INVITES VIEWERS TO REFLECT ON THESE MOMENTS AND DISCOVER THEIR OWN CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE WORKS."
- BARBARA DROBOT
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Barbara Drobot is a visual artist, art educator, and practice-based researcher. Working primarily in oil painting and drawing, she investigates how observation shapes perception, thought, and artistic decision-making. Long-term observational sketching forms the foundation of both her artistic and research practice, informing her paintings as well as her work in art education, where she develops methods based on observation, visual inquiry, and creative thinking.
Her artistic practice focuses on the human body as a place where memory, vulnerability, and change become visible. It forms the foundation of her scholarly work on drawing, artistic research, visual thinking, and contemporary art education. She has published articles in academic journals and professional publications, presented at international conferences, including the International Conference on Arts and Humanities (Hawaii, USA) and the Arts in Society International Conference (Athens, Greece), and is a Fellow in Ideas at Harrison Middleton University (USA).
Her artworks have been exhibited internationally, including group exhibitions in London and Batumi and finalist exhibitions with Fusion Art Gallery. Her paintings have been featured in international art publications, including Art Daily, Art Seen Magazine, Visual Art Journal, Artsin Square Magazine, and the book I LEFT TO RETURN… TO MYSELF (2026).
Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Barbara currently lives and works in Batumi, Georgia.
"The human body has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. Even my earliest sketchbooks are filled with studies of figures, hands, and feet. I have always trusted the body more than the face. A face can perform, conceal, or wear a mask. The body is less willing to hide. It reveals hesitation, fear, tenderness, and resilience before we are even aware of them ourselves.
I paint because I am trying to understand what happens to us in moments of inner change. My recent work has grown out of questions about self-acceptance—how we live through pain, how we carry it, and how we slowly learn to move forward without leaving parts of ourselves behind. I don't look for conclusions. I stay with the uncertainty, allowing it to remain visible.
Oil painting and drawing play different roles in my practice. Painting gives me time to simplify an image until only what feels essential remains. Drawing is where I observe, question, and test ideas. My sketchbooks are not preparation for paintings; they are an independent part of my practice and the foundation of my research into observation, perception, and art education.
My paintings begin with experiences from my own life, but they are not about telling my story. I want them to become a place where someone else can pause and recognize something of their own. We all carry uncertainty, loss, tenderness, fear, and hope in different ways. The body remembers those experiences long after words begin to fail."
