Artist Statement: I am interested in the idea of inspiration- where does that first spark of creativity come from? One enduring centuries-old belief is that muses are the caretakers of the creative sphere: daughters of Zeus whose names are Clio, Erato, Thalia, Terpsichore, Calliope, Polyhymnia, Euterpe, Melpomene, and Urania. Many artists (musician/writer/dancer/etc) invoke and invite the muses' presence- hoping for creative ideas and help in bringing projects to fruition. The muses, being of divine origin, inhabit celestial spheres and watch over the creative process. The piano is painted in shades of deep blue to symbolically represent the plane where our hopes and dreams live- sky or heaven or dreamscape. The flat top has a frieze depicting the muses, whose assistance we all can use, whether we practice the arts professionally or not. The piano is covered in constellations of stars, referring to the world where the muses might live, the outer space that for centuries was believed to be inhabited with magical mystical creatures moving through the sky. All the constellations are believed to have certain powers, some - like the Pegasus - are believed to be the creators of sources from which artists draw inspiration. The piano is to inspire the viewers not only to play, but also to reflect that creativity is a vast field of possibilities; that by inviting the muses into our (creative) life we could engage wonderful benevolent co-creators; all we have to do is look into the starry night and feel their creative help coming.
Oksana Prokopenko's works have been acquired into the permanent collections of museums in the USA (Museum of Russian Art) and Italy (Siena Art Institute). Prokopenko has been featured on the International Russian TV network, NTV, radio shows, and numerous publications. To quote Margo Grant, the Museum of Russian Art’s director, “The soul of Prokopenko’s work is in her walking that fine line between the transcendent and the ordinary. “ Oksana Prokopenko is a Ukrainian born artist now living and working in NYC. Educated in the US at NYU and the Ukraine, she creates mixed media paintings as well as micro-mosaics from tiny pieces of glass. Currently, Prokopenko’s work can be seen at St Paul the Apostle, 59th St and Columbia Ave, NYC. Prokopenko's public art murals have been featured in Cosmopolitan.com and can be seen on Lower East Side (part of 100 Gates Project) and Long Island City (part of ArtsOrg).