Rita‘s art has been a vehicle for creating new life in communities since she and a group of colleagues created a theater out of rubble in Kiev after the Cold War. Her specialty was designing the sets and the costumes.
“We built it from nothing,” she said. “Underneath the building was the space they gave us, and we redid the entire theater.”
Her inspiration for her artwork often focuses on connection, which is possibly why she adores public art projects. Whether it be connection between history and present day, between human beings and nature, or nature and the seasons, Rita creates art about these special relationships we all have with the world around us.
She spoke with me on the phone about the pieces that went up on the walls of the Marketplace to give some insight to the inspiration for her designs.