Every Brooklyn resident knows, how is it rewarding to find well air-conditioned space on a hot humid and stuffy day. And Kings Bay Library, is not only such a retreat but also a venue where Jewish Guild of Folk Craftsmen – conducts their inspiring exhibitions and presentations. This time – we came ready to see something traditional, old school, yet no less exciting as newcomers, which were presenting before.
This time, we are viewing the artworks of Asya Oranskaya, one of the well-known guild members. If you say something like “Her works are simply beautiful” – it’s the same as to say nothing about Asya. Her pictures are full of color, full of thoughts, every picture has its own subject, its own style and its own face. The are both realistic and surrealistic. The first picture, I paid attention to – is the Lady Spring.
The main object is a young woman, who impersonated the Spring herself. But here the Spring is in tough struggle with winter. Her dress is made of flowers, which are mixed with landscape. Her hat is made of flowers, yet it seems so heavy as winter hat. I have no word. I can only quote Viktor Gin as he starts his poem
“Winter in summertime” (in translation from Russian)
“You’ve made this picture by yourself, out of music and light
You think you drew a winter on it, I think you depicted the summer”
I even remembered by childhood dreams, on a matter how my love looks like.
Every picture of Asya deserves such a description. Colors are very sharp, landscapes are very unique, they are both broad landscape views and closeups. As of me, her picture with a sunset over a winter landscape deserves more attention. Sunset and its reflection are so beautiful that even taking photos of this phenomenon is a delicate art. Asya – did a painting of it, the sun and its refection is orange. As orange as the first part of her last name. As genealogical research states, Oransky last name came from Orange county in Netherlands. What can make a county, located far from where oranges grown, orange? I believe the beautiful sunsets. So, I believe that’s Asya’s gene to draw like this.
Asya is not only an artist. She is a poet as well, and many of her poems depict, what she draws in her pictures. Not all of her poems are equal. Some are about landscapes, some about different life situations, and of course – some are about Jewish Nation. She was not only poet during the presentation. For example, there was a poet Yuriy Litvak who came to us from Jerusalem, and he read his poet about rose flower.
And how many nice words were said about Asya. One of those speakers was a professional art teacher. The most memorable saying was “when Asya was born, G-d kissed her directly in top of her head” because she is really talented. She is an artist, a poet, and engineer according to her education, singer, and she is dancer as well.
As it’s became common the meeting ended by musical presentation. Alla Axelrod, performed on piano. She played all 360 degrees of music, starting with Broadway Musicals to Russian Folk songs, and with Jewish tunes and European classics in middle. Tatyana Nazarenka, already known as a dancer among the guild members, visualized all music by her majestic dance movements. Asya joined her is a dance, and revealed herself as a dancer too. What a dynamic duo was it! What a special atmosphere she made for us. Traditional, old school, and free of all today’s computer dependency and it’s noises.
The explanation is simple. When a person is talented, he/she has multiple talents. The more talents, the more talented friends he/she meets. The more friends, the more changes to reveal talents, and to make a show.