The Horse, Bison and Stag Paintings
 My paintings are inspired by my travels along the Silk, where I researched ancient cave art. The animal imagery found at these sites resonates with a primal symbolic depth, evoking the origins of human creativity and abstraction.

I often use rectangles and geometric forms to define the animals’ bodies, creating a dialogue between ancient motifs and contemporary imagination. Positioned on the edge of abstraction, the final works invite multiple readings—shifting between animal, landscape, and still life.

Working on these paintings reminds me that these creatures have long been our companions. Accompanying us on our collective human journey from the caves to the present, they still inhabit our imagination, imbuing us with a sense of wonder, power, and delight.

The Bird Paintings
The Birds of the Silk Routes series is inspired by my travels on the Silk Routes (China, India, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia) where I researched Buddhist cave paintings and ancient art to inform my paintings. In these works, birds and flora are juxtaposed with petroglyphs and symbols that emerge and recede through layers of paint. By referencing diverse habitats, the series suggests a natural ecosystem in which all life is interdependent. 

The Paintings on Plaster 
Moving beyond traditional fresco, my paintings on plaster utilize plaster as a tactile, immersive medium echoing the primal bond between ancient artists and the earth. While sharing the animal and figural subjects of my oil paintings, these plaster works add a new dimension by combining paint and marble dust on layers of Venetian plaster. Drawings, incised marks, and textual references embedded within the strata-like surface become integral to the final image. The multi-dimensional surface interacts with shifting light throughout the day, making the painting a source of shifting perceptions.

Valentina DuBasky
New York, NY,  2026