Mirror Effect: Limassol’s newest art exhibit

This is an ideal time to visit museums and galleries, just before they close for the summer holidays and art exhibitions take a break. Adding to Limassol’s agenda is a new showcase by artist Iryna Manukovska titled Mirror Effect. Captivating abstract paintings will fill the gallery walls from Friday to July 22.

The Ukraine-born and Cyprus-based interdisciplinary artist focuses on oil paintings while vivid colours and thick impasto characterise her work. Writing about Manukovska’s work and her upcoming showcase, the exhibition’s curator Nefeli Stylianou said: “In our adult lives, societal influences shape and mould our decisions, often stifling our innate curiosity and thirst for exploration. On the contrary, children approach the world with boundless curiosity, unafraid to ask questions such as ‘why’, ‘when’, and ‘what’. In a similar vein, Manukovska draws inspiration from the unbounded nature of children’s minds and implores the audience not to merely see her paintings, but to truly engage in the act of seeing as a means of accessing a different kind of experience.

“In Mirror Effect,” she adds, “Manukovska’s new collection of paintings becomes an intimate exercise of introspection, revealing both the conscious and unconscious traits of her personality. In the same line, the artist invites the viewer to engage with her works and embark on a transformative journey of personal growth and self-analysis”. Each painting is accompanied by an open-ended question serving as its title, designed to unlock one’s innermost thoughts and emotions. Manukovska seeks to inspire viewers by encouraging them to pose these questions to themselves, and self-reflect, igniting a dialogue between the viewer and the artworks.

This July exhibition is not the first one the artist has held in Cyprus. Abroad too her artwork is held in government, private and corporate collections in Ukraine, Spain and Malta while in Cyprus she has co-founded the Paphos Women Artists (PWA) community with the aim to promote female artists on the island and abroad.

Mirror Effect

Solo exhibition by Iryna Manukovska. July 7-22. Exhibit8 Gallery, Limassol. Opening night: 7.30pm. Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 11pm and Saturday: 12pm – 11pm. Tel: 25-212171