A Lake Macquarie based artist originally from Melbourne, Alanya is intrigued by the rich symbolism and magic of the pagan polish folk art of her ancestry, particularly traditional embroidery and paper cutting art. She is also inspired by trail blazing modernist artists such as Georgia O’Keefe and the esoteric work Hilma af Klint.

With qualifications in Visual Art, Animation, Counselling and Art therapy she is a widely exhibited artist and has been a finalist in several fine art prizes.

Primarily working in acrylics on timber panels, windows and walls, she brings experience in illustration, mural design and fine art.

Responding to nature’s beauty and mystique, her art emphasises spirituality and ancestral heritage as a way of responding to our modern, consumerist culture. Alanya believes that as our worlds become more technologically dominated, the role of art making as an immersive, physical, emotionally engaging process is becoming more significant to our well-being and deeper humanity.

“I work with themes of ancestry, spirituality and cultural belonging, drawing deeply on my Polish and Dutch heritage. From Polish folk art I inherit the use of plants, animals, and ritual motifs. From my Dutch side I carry the tradition of dolls’ houses where the miniature home is imagined as a sacred, magical space. Childhood memories of building fairy houses and my Opa’s handmade dolls’ house built from recycled timber continue to shape my sense of wonder and reverence for imagination, play and sanctuary.”