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Artist Statement

My art is an exploration of the invisible, transcendent, and mystical dimensions of the Universe. Inspired by the “imaginal realm” described by French philosopher Henry Corbin, I call my style Imaginal Symbolism. For Corbin, the imaginal is not the same as the imaginary. While the imaginary suggests an escape from reality, the imaginal is the very ground where reality comes into being — through intelligent, co-creative partnership with archetypal forces.

This is how I create: I listen from deep stillness, I respond, and I dance with powerful forces of the Universe. My practice is a living “Dance with the Divine,” a mystical process in which I become a spiritual alchemist, co-creating alongside my Muse in a state of deep surrender and joy.

My artistic name, Uslada, holds the full essence of this alchemy.

Rooted in my mixed East European heritage, the word “uslada” (услада in Russian) carries rich, multi-layered beauty. It holds the fierce, fiery love as well as the tender sweetness of being fully nurtured and supported by the Universe. Uslada is the state of deep, unshakable contentment — the enchantment with life, with love, and with our authentic power. It is the quiet revolution of self-love that gently heals what centuries of conditioning and ancestral patterns have taken from us.

Uslada is not merely the name with which I sign my paintings. It is the essential energy I bring into the world, one canvas at a time — both transformative fire and nurturing embrace.

My work is a spiritual journey of self-empowerment. Being in my power means attuning to the soft whisper of inner truth rather than the loud demands of the ego. True power arises not from achievement or competition, but from pure silence, connectedness to Life itself, and the graceful desire to feel fully alive. From that stillness flows bliss, sovereignty of spirit, and the freedom to create without proving or struggling.

In this state, my paintings carry a powerful energy that many viewers experience as palpable medicine for the body, mind, and soul — both revolutionary and tenderly healing. They serve as quiet catalysts. They honor the sensual life-force that pulses through all things and invite us to reclaim our inner authority — the power to be fully, unapologetically ourselves. They inspire us to embrace our creative gifts and to remember the simple joy of being alive in both fierce love and tender sweetness.

Through each piece I extend a warm invitation, and a gentle declaration: the world needs more Uslada.

Bio

Uslada is a visual artist who taps into the flow of life to create her paintings, sensual and exuberant. Uslada works in a distinctive style that she calls imaginal symbolism characterized by bold, symbolic works in which vivid archetypes are woven into mystical narratives. Her art is an amalgam of rich color, texture and intricate shapes which portray the magnificence of the Universe, and the beauty of all of us in it.

Just as the Olympian myth tells us that Athena was born fully-formed from the forehead of Zeus, Uslada’s art slumbered inside her for decades before bursting forth into the material world, unsuspected, certainly by the outsider, almost by an other-wordly fiat. This happened in the spring of 2011 after Uslada had experienced a mystical awakening in Tuscany, Italy.

Surrounded by the astonishing beauty of the Tuscan landscape, Uslada’s soul was awakened to the infinite depths of beauty and endless creativity that had been inside her all along, and the art began to spring forth in a style that was very authentic and complete from the very start. 

One year and a half after starting to paint in Belgium where she lived at the time, Uslada met Marcel Paquet, Belgian philosopher and art writer.  Marcel Paquet wrote books about artists such as Bram Bogart, Fernando Botero, Jean Dubuffet, Paul Delvaux, René Magritte and many others. These books were inspired by his personal friendships with the artists.  Marcel Paquet was a supporter of Uslada’s art until his death in 2014, and dedicated a philosophical essay to her oeuvre. Read more about Uslada’s inspiring story about her friendship with Marcel Paquet here.

Uslada finds her inspiration in a large array of things. Her source of creativity is the beauty and sacredness of nature and its astonishing colors - both the quiet palette she grew up surrounded by during her childhood near the Baltic Sea, as well as exotic warmth of vibrant colors she encounters during her travels to faraway lands. She is also inspired by a large spectrum of different art styles, forms and techniques, including Asian filigree, Venetian glass work, chern (чернь) and gold that are wide-spread in Russian art, to name a few.

Uslada has exhibited her art in solo shows, as well as together with other artists. Her paintings are part of private collections in France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Venezuela, Philippines and the United States.

Uslada was born in Latvia and began her artistic parcours in Belgium. She now resides in Lugano, Switzerland. The artist was known during the earlier part of her career up to 2019 as Foxi Von Riga.

Exhibition Highlights

  • 2026 — Invited by international curator and collector Sonia Borrell to join the StudioToGallery platform

  • 2024 — The Imaginal World of Uslada, solo exhibition at Galeria Solis, La Hulpe, Belgium

  • 2022 — Top 30 Prize, Art Vue Foundation, Belgium

  • 2020 — Group exhibition, Balthasar Brussels, Belgium

  • 2017 — Solo exhibition at Delen Private Bank (main sponsor of BRAFA Art Fair), Brussels, Belgium

  • 2017 — The Flow series exhibited at the Ocean Film Festival, Brussels, Belgium

  • 2015 — Joint exhibition under the patronage of artist and curator Ola-Dele Kuku, Baki Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

  • 2014 — Solo exhibition Expansion of Infinity, Jos Joos Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

  • 2013 — Solo exhibition Les fruits défendus, Espace Lorraine Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

  • 2013 — Exhibition at Gallery 45, Brussels, Belgium

  • 2013 — First exhibition at The Egg Cultural Center, Brussels, Belgium

  • 2013 — Uslada Meets philosopher and art writer Marcel Paquet

  • 2011 — Beginning of Uslada’s artistic parcours

In the Media

  • 2025 — In-depth interview “Dancing with the Divine” published in .ART Odyssey magazine, Healing Issue

  • 2024 — Review of solo exhibition The Imaginal World of Uslada by dotArt platform

  • 2024 — TVcom feature on the opening of The Imaginal World of Uslada at Galeria Solis

  • 2023 — Participant in the launch episode of “Meet the .Artists” virtual series (.ART community)

  • 2022 — Interview “Creativity Takes Courage” published in Goddess Arts Magazine (Germany)

  • 2021 — Interview published by ArtDomains (English & Russian) marking 10 years of artistic career

  • 2021 — Artwork featured in Power of Color curated publication by Bruxelles Art Vue

  • 2015 — Appearance on prime-time Belgian TV program C’est du Belge with photographer Eric Ceccarini

  • 2013 — Essay dedicated to Uslada’s work by philosopher and art writer Marcel Paquet (who has written on Magritte, Botero, Miró, and Calder)

  • “My artistic path has been a path towards self-empowerment. It’s a never ending road towards self-discovery. For me, it’s been a deeply spiritual path that has taught me so much about life, and about myself. It taught me a lot about self-reliance and responsibility. I’ve learned to look at my own life as a blank canvas, and treat it as if it was a work of art. I am the one who chooses colors and concepts, and I know that whatever I do, I’ll love the result.”

    Interview with Goddess Arts Magazine

  • "My main source of inspiration is nature - oceans, forests and plants that surround us - and also our human nature, our existence on planet Earth, which goes far beyond the materialistic perceptions of what’s visible to the eye. I believe that it’s only by accepting the sacredness, wisdom and consciousness of nature that we will accept our own sacred place within it. And it is only when we fully embrace our human nature, and accept who we truly are, that we will be able to treat our Planet and approach life with deep respect and reverence.”

    Uslada