Number 1, 2026

Oleksandra Hrebelna  

INVARIANT series
An invariant is a property that remains unchanged under certain types of transformations.
This series of works emerged during a period of severe fatigue and emotional burnout. At some point, it became difficult to process the endless stream of information, other people's expectations, and stories that had nothing to do with my own life. When the external noise becomes too loud, there is a need to return to something simple and enduring.
Abstract painting became that anchor for me.

In my family, the exact sciences have always been held in high regard. Among my relatives were engineers, designers, chemists, and power engineers. One of my fondest childhood memories involves my father: the sea, the beach, and a textbook on mathematical analysis that he read with genuine interest. I didn't become a scientist, and my academic performance in school was quite modest, but my love for the logic, structure, and beauty of mathematical thinking has somehow stayed with me.  I often see similar principles in painting. Working with color requires precision in proportions. Composition is built on relationships, balance, and the interaction of elements. Intuition is just as important here as calculation, but one cannot exist without the other.

This series is dedicated to painting as a language in its own right. No plot, no characters, no need to explain anything. Just color, form, rhythm, and the relationships between them.
Each work was an attempt to find order within inner chaos. Gradually, elements that seemed random at first glance coalesced into a system, tension gave way to equilibrium, and the process of searching led to a state of stillness.

The title of the series refers to the mathematical concept of an invariant. Circumstances, states, perspectives, and life stages change, but something within us remains constant. This series is an attempt to uncover that constant through color, form, and rhythm.

For me, “Invariant" is an exploration of what endures despite change. It is a search for the inner structure that remains with us even when everything else changes.  Some solutions come quickly, while others require dozens of revisions. This work reminded me that the search process doesn't always follow a straight path. Sometimes a system only comes together after many mistakes.