Artist Bio
Wednesday Nelena Sorokin is a painter whose work has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and cultural institutions across California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia. Her pieces are included in museum collections throughout the United States.
Rooted in themes of social justice, spirituality, and Jungian psychology, Sorokin’s practice extends beyond painting to include performance art, comedy, and sculpture. She is a founding member of the Hestia Art Collective and contributed to the creation and restoration of The History of Women in Northampton from 1680 to 1980, a 3,000-square-foot public mural in Northampton, MA.
Primarily working in oil with mixed media such as pencil, charcoal, and oil stick, Sorokin brings a layered, expressive approach to her work. She holds a B.A. from Smith College and an M.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from James Madison University. She currently teaches at Berkshire Art Center in Stockbridge, MA, and has been an educator since 1977.
Artist Statement
My paintings are intuitive journeys—conversations with the unconscious. I begin with a spontaneous gesture, a raw expression that serves as an opening phrase. From there, I respond in layers—adding, simplifying, or reshaping—until a sense of emotional resonance emerges. I don’t aim for literal representation but for a visual language that feels honest and complete. A painting is finished when it no longer calls for more; when it rests in harmony and something within it feels precisely right.
Ways to contact the artist
Website: http://www.nelenasoro.net/
Email the artist
Studio Location: Becket, MA
Images:
Undertow, oil and mixed media on linen, 20” x 20”
Beneath the Known, oil and mixed media on linen, 20” x 20”
History, oil and mixed media on linen, 20” x 20”
To Provincetown, oil on wood panel, 8” x 10”
Newcomb’s Hollow, oil on canvas, 11” x 14”
Petaluma, oil on wood panel, 8” x 10”
