Featured artist
Elena Morgun (Trish)

“My inspiration is not in the present or in past events to describe, not in deep feelings or emotions to demonstrate, neither in already existent beautiful objects to depict. It is the future that inspires me. The challenging world of Tomorrow which is derived from Today“

Elena Morgun (creative pseudonym – Trish) is an acclaimed artist of Russian origin whose paintings have been featured in diverse projects, shows and competitions nationally and worldwide. Through her art she explores the unknown, delving into subjects that include the esoteric traditions of different cultures and ages, mythology, as well as ancient religions and beliefs. Trish fuses these topics with the modern era in what she refers to as “mental expeditions” or “visionary art trips”.

Her paintings, so rich in symbolism and archetypes, have become the core of important art-therapy methods and instruments for psychotherapy and meditation. Born in 1982, she made a long and winding journey to creativity as a profession. Formally Elena is a relatively late-starting and self-established artist. She belongs to a dynasty of architects and designers. Discovered her various talents at an early age in classical ballet, literature, languages, painting, maths, and programming basics through school years. Studied Roman and German Linguistics and Cultures at University. Later while working on her projects in Art therapy she took up post-graduate courses in Psychotherapy and Neuropsychology.

During her student years painting, drawing, graphic design and animation, and web design were still her hobbies and freelance. She was brilliant in visual media development, and later used her imagination abilities and mind broader as a startup manager and creative concepts developer, focusing more and more on her own projects, becoming an artist as her main occupation.

All through those years, she mastered her skills in visual media and Arts, too, studying, creating designs and illustrating, training others, leading artistic and experimental creative projects, and holding exhibitions – and though she had no formal education in Arts, but gained the attention of collectors and critics. Elena became Member of the Russian Union Of Artists And Creators and the International Federation of Artists in 2015.

In one of the interviews, Elena was asked if she regrets that so many years were lost in other occupations and jobs, while Art was always so near. “Definitely I do not regret. If I had focused on drawing and painting since my school or university years, I’d gained better skills, of course. But I would have nothing to say to the spectator. All I have to tell you through my art now is the result of this twisted and winding road walked by me. I enjoyed every step, good or bad.”

She loves being an Artist as her major occupation, contributing knowledge, experience, skills and concepts from other fields of her competence to the creative route. Her outstanding abilities and achievements in Arts are noted by collectors and critics worldwide. Now Trish is member of the leading national Association of Artists since 2015.

Founder and inspirer of the residence and studio developing art-therapy experimental and traditional techniques since 2006. Author and curator of several projects on the edge of art, psychology and mysticism since 1998. Holder of awards and scholarships and a very open-minded and responsive person.

Her artworks are like Fantasy illustrations at first glance. But once you begin to study them closer, you find hidden symbols and secret objects. Once you get back to a picture again, you find more and more layers of meanings and associations. These imaginary spaces seem alive. It’s a challenging experience, called in art therapy “mental resonance, vibrancy”, the clue to feeling Art rather than trying to understand it. This effect is so bright and legible in Elena’s artworks, that the spectator might call it a kind of magic.

“Art is a soul’s trip out from the labyrinth of the mind.” One of the most widely-known projects created and illustrated with paintings by Elena Morgun is “Oculus Semantics” (OSs), a series of semantic cards (or metaphoric cards), an instrument for a psychologist in diagnostics and treatment, for any person for self-help through meditation and associations. A properly created image opens the door to the subconscious of a person, a door between mind and soul, where advice and answers may be found free from the boundaries of an Ego.

The deck is formed flexibly with sets of beautiful cards, nine in each set. The OSs system suggests detailed instructions and interpretations. There have been two big releases since the pilot issue in 2019, and the total scale of OSs is over 200 semantic cards illustrated by artworks by Trish. Favoured by art-therapy specialists, mentalists and visionaries, OSs will soon be issued in different languages. Another unusual artistic concept developed and brought to life by Elena is “Labyrinth N”, an art demonstration format where the exhibition space is shaped as a labyrinth, and a spectator is guided through it by an AI companion. This brilliant form of the art show was in special demand during the pandemic years, as it allows to keep spectators at safe social distance.

Art rich in symbolism and delicate associations suits such show format, like strange visual fairy-tales by Trish. In her own art residence and studio Elena welcomes other artists, designers, psychotherapists, mentalists, and volunteers to continue amazing trips to the world of unconsciousness through visual artistic instruments.

more. www.trishart.ru