Before embarking on her artistic journey, Lana Matskiv (born Svetlana Galkin in Ukraine) was a
passionate art collector for nearly 25 years. Thus she knew exactly where to begin: rigorous study in the
tradition of classical realism which would allow freedom of expression and control over any style of
rendering. Lana’s underwent her initial training in the Russian Academy method with its emphasis on
structural drawing and anatomical studies. Subsequently, she worked with Thomas Hendry and Tom
Campbell of the Toronto School of Art and completed the certificate program in Fine Art Foundations at
George Brown College. Lana continues to hone the mastery of her craft through the French Atelier
method as taught by internationally acclaimed instructor Fernando Freitas, of the Toronto Academy of
Realist Art.
Lana’s artistic influences range from John Singer Sargent, Zinaida Serebriakova and Hermen Camarasa
to David Laffel, David Cheifetz, Andrey Remnev, Ivan Slavinsky , Olga Suvorova and Anna Berezovskaya.
Lana is a member of the Ukrainian Association of Visual Artists of Canada. Her work is in the permanent
collection of the Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation and on display at the Ukrainian Consulate in
Toronto, as well as in private collections in Canada, USA and Ukraine.

Artist’s Statement

Though my favourite genre is still life, I firmly believe that life is never still, nor is it ever mute. All I need
to do is listen to the voices in my surroundings and translate them into the visual world with the use of
tone, color and edges. I never stop to marvel at the exquisite simplicity and beauty of nature and things,
and the intricacy and complexity of relationships between them. Every work I make has a narrative. The
evanescent effects of light and the spontaneity of gesture of expression are my guiding posts, while the
striking colors of the land are my driving force. I gravitate towards traditional representational paintings
and drawings as they allow me to carefully tackle the treasures I find around me in their order, harmony
and wholeness. I am acutely aware of the past as it nourishes the future, and oftentimes contemplate
classical images in juxtaposition to contemporary surroundings or materials. Whether I work from life
models or imagination, I always try to ground my work in the tradition of direct observation and realistic
rendering of life.