“This body of work explores subtle shifts of light and the contemplative presence it carries in the softer hours of the day. The compositions remain minimal, allowing attention to rest on tone and presence. It looks at moments when contrast lowers and surrounding forms hold depth without sharp definition. The atmosphere grows still, yet light continues to move.”

Ksenia Shinkarenko is a Melbourne based contemporary artist exploring the balance between structure and organic movement. Through natural textiles, plant-based dyes and layered compositions, she creates surfaces that feel grounding and imbued with warmth. Spending her early years in Japan shaped her appreciation for subtle detail and material integrity, principles that continue to inform her work today. Later, moving to Australia brought a slower rhythm, leading her towards an art practice shaped by a deepening connection to the landscape. She now works primarily with natural fabrics and organic materials that carry a trace of time and place. Her process is open-ended, allowing each piece to take shape with its own rhythm.

“I explore surfaces that invite touch, that feel alive in the way they hold warmth, like cotton, bamboo and hessian.”

Quiet Hours began in familiar spaces where the artist feels at ease, noticing how shadows draw attention inward and subtle changes become clearer. That same focus carried into later solo travels and time in nature that shaped the work that followed.

Each piece is built in thin layers using natural dyes. As the layers dry, depth and warmth shift gradually allowing tonal transitions to unfold over time. The process moves between speed and restraint. What appears in the moment is not always what remains. Small variations in water can alter the tone, and areas that seem dark may later become the lightest.

“I rely less on what I see and more on a sense of direction or a specific feeling I am trying to hold. Once the tones settle, the pace slows. The process becomes steady and almost meditative".

At its core, Ksenia’s work is about unity and connection, creating space to slow down and notice what’s beneath the surface.