Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Valeriya was raised and classically educated in fine arts. Her father, a talented, multidimensional artist, enrolled his daughter in a class at the Art Studio for Young Artists. Later, Valeriya graduated from an Art School. Then she received her training in product design and fine arts at Kiev State College of Art and Design. The artist had been participating at the local and regional exhibitions in Ukraine till her arrival to Canada.
In 1995 Valeriya with her family came to Montreal. As a new arrival coming into Canada, she continued her education at Dawson College and Concordia University in Montreal. Soon after, she started a thriving business in Fashion industry as a graphic designer and illustrator, creating visual presentations and artworks for the main apparel companies in Montreal.
In the midst of a successful run, Valeriya made the life changing decision to go back to her roots and build a creative path of her own. The artist has won many international awards and has been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows. Her works have been collected by private and corporate collectors in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Originally, an accomplished watercolorist, Valeriya began experimenting with quash, and later, with oils. Presently, the artist loves working with acrylics and mixed media as they have the benefit of a wide range of aesthetic characteristics. Using acrylic and to the best of her abilities, Valeriya can create different effects, such as the transparency found in watercolour art, and the deep intensity that comes with oil paintings. In her acrylic pieces, she often uses other media, including varieties of modelling paste, glass paint, ink, pastel, wax, and more. The artist enjoys working with the highest quality grade paints because the strong pigmentation allows for such brilliant tones. Moreover, her paintings make use of wonderful sheens as a result of gold and silver leaf. These materials, manipulated with the help of brushes and sculpting tools, like pallet knives, create depth, while maintaining the desired vividness and translucency of colour, and an illuminating intensity.
“Trained by four Mentors: Fine Arts, Commercial Art, formal education and my father, I am creating artworks using different media and techniques learned through my life. After a hiatus in my artistic pursuits, it feels so amazing to come back to my roots, to become myself.
I am so blessed that I was able to recognize myself as an artist and so grateful that others responded so positively."
Valeriya Khomar
Testimonials:
“I love the way you use the colors and how they give a feeling of light to each of your painting. We would like to use your artwork to illustrate our Jewish calendar for the year 5780 (2019/2020).”
- Nehama Hendel, Coordinator, Chabad Shlucha, Athens, Greece
"The energy in her work is emboldened by her dramatic colouring that magically highlights forms and turns them into all kinds of moving textures that are feathery, strong of fleeting”.
- Nancy Snipper, Writer, “The Free Press” Newspaper, Montreal, 2015
"Your work exhibits a great sense of composition and attention to detail. The level of experimentation in this particular medium is very innovative. The concept is a very unique approach to your technique and vision. As far as criticism goes, the judges have no particular comments as to what could improve, as we all agree that your message gets across unquestionably.”
- Shawn James, Director, Green Point Gallery, New York, 2015
"Valeriya Khomar has a definite signature style with the ribbon-like imagery. The acrylic painting called "The Road to .." uses color well with the warm and cool palette and the movement to the upper right of the canvas communicate a sense of upward direction along a road idea. The special small cut-away subtraction sections to the ribbon structure gives a sense of roughness along the way and this makes the statement more compelling. The works "Tree of Life" and "Familia" reinforce her style, each expressing special meanings. And her work "Spring Rising", in her abstract interpretation, reveals a rising up from the cold into the bright and sunny part of Spring."
- Laurence Bradshaw, Curator, Professor of Art, Upstream People Gallery, 2015
“I like the dynamical structure of Valeriya's work. It seems to move on its own. Valeriya Khomar has a creative flair that makes her abstract work stand out, as you will see in this video (YouTube).”
- Keith Yingling, Director, American Juried Art Salon, 2015
"Valeriya’s work truly leads the imagination into a whole other world where anything is possible! Valeriya’s work will be featured at the upcoming RAW Montreal showcase!”
- Cynthia Ballesteros, Executive Director, RAW Canada
“Your work emerges both abstract and representational without succumbing to either discipline exclusively. Specifically, your piece entitled 'Ties' is beautifully rendered with a duality of colour temperatures in the background. These pieces are very well-executed and thus intriguing.”
- Shawn James, Director, Green Point Gallery, New York, 2014
"Valeriya Khomar has developed a very interesting visual vocabulary. The organic development of her "Admiration" is quite remarkable. And the sense of movement is quite effective in "Four Winds". Furthermore, her "Ties" is impressive with the sense of moving form."
- Laurence Bradshaw, Curator, Professor of Art, Upstream People Gallery, 2014
"Dear Ms Khomar,
I have viewed your website and I was drawn to your abstract and contempo work. I especially like "Admiration" and "Tree". It was also a pleasure to see your drawings which demonstrate that you are a talented artist in how you capture the human form."
- Sergio Monte, Curator, Biennale Chianciano 2013
"Interesting work - concistant."
"Organic and sculptural. Consistent personal statement. Makes the viewer think."
"Good coherent compositions and pleasing use of colour and forms."
- Critics' reviews, SCA Spring 2014
"Congratulations on having your work selected from approximately 400 entries from various part of the world."
- Ahyor Thompson, Co- Founder& Art Director, Four Points Contemporary, 2013
"I love so much your art and all the light that spills out from it. In fact, I have never seen as much light from art as yours."
- Vienney Carpentier, Poet/Writer, 2012