Arcadia Contemporary | 7/17-8/3 | New York, NY

Warmth and Light

Arcadia Contemporary hosts a duo exhibition for couple Andrii Kateryniuk and Anhelina Holembivska.

Andrii Kateryniuk and Anhelina Holembivska are holding their very first husband and wife exhibition at Arcadia Contemporary this July. Originally from Ukraine, the couple met through their shared love of art and continue to inspire each other as they move through life together.

Andrii Kateryniuk, Ember, oil on canvas, 134 ⁄5 x 15 3⁄4"

In early childhood, they met at an art school in Kyiv, but grew close during their final years in school when their artistic pursuits became more serious and aligned. “Around that time, our personal relationship also began to deepen,” says Holembivska. They continued studying together at the Academy of Fine Arts, and in private ateliers in Kyiv, and eventually set off on what was intended to be a grand tour of Florence, Italy, which unexpectedly lasted for seven years. Today, Kateryniuk and Holembivska share both a life and a studio space.

“Now, we have the wonderful opportunity to share an exhibition—something we’ve long dreamed about,” Holembivska says. “Collaborating on a joint project has always been part of our plans, and we couldn’t imagine a better occasion than a husband-and-wife show at Arcadia.”

Anhelina Holembivska, Afterglow, oil on canvas, 43 1⁄3 x 71"

The show will feature two collaborative works, each led by one of the artists. Kateryniuk primarily oversaw the creation of Window, which features Holembivska looking out the window of a white facade. The painting continues his exploration of light, combining graphic and painterly elements, as well as abstraction and realism.

Holembivska, in turn, directed a painting that extends her In Bloom series of self portraits. The work blends floral motifs and the influence of Japanese graphics—both central themes in Holembivska’s practice—with an emphasis on the exploration of light, a topic central to her husband’s own artistic research.

Anhelina Holembivska, Bloom of Light, oil on canvas, 13 4⁄5 x 9 4⁄5"

“Light, for me, is not only a tool to shape form and space, it’s also a way to introduce a second layer of meaning,” Kateryniuk says. “I use it both classically, to render the illusion of volume on a flat surface, and narratively, to create moments of quiet tension or suggestion. In paintings like Ember and Sleepwalker, light doesn’t just illuminate the figure, it interacts with the environment in a way that evokes presence beyond what is shown. The projected light on the wall becomes a visual echo of something outside the frame. It’s not only a formal device, but also a subtle storytelling element that speaks to memory, vulnerability or inner states.”

Andrii Kateryniuk, Languor, oil on canvas, 31 ½ x 39 2⁄5"

Kateryniuk’s oil Ember features a figure resting in warm, glowing light. “Ember was painted using a layered technique I commonly follow: I began with an underpainting to establish tonal structure and composition. The second layer was painted mostly alla prima using impasto and high-chroma pigments, such as cadmium orange, to achieve intensity and immediate vibrancy,” he explains of his process. “Finally, I applied a series of transparent glazes with similarly saturated colors to amplify the luminosity and deepen the glowing atmosphere. The result is a painting that feels as though it radiates warmth from within, capturing a fleeting and intimate moment.”

Anhelina Holembivska, Fading Light, oil on canvas, 55 x 31 ½"

For Holembivska, light allows her to create an emotional narrative. “Different states of nature evoke different associations, and when I’m able to capture a particular quality of light, I can express not only what I saw, but what I felt in that moment.” She cites her painting Afterglow, depicting a rose garden in warm, fading sunlight. “[The piece] evokes a quiet sense of hope and melancholy,” she says. “That piece was inspired by a real moment: I visited the garden in the final days of summer, when I found myself wanting to hold on to every second in that silent space, feeling both joy at the beauty around me and sadness knowing it was slipping away. The fading light, the scent of cool, damp air and the stillness all hinted at the approaching autumn, and I wanted the painting to carry that mix of hope, longing and acceptance.”