Katya Muromtseva: Heart Left in the Bag Exhibition Opens in New York

Plato Gallery will be hosting an opening of Katya Muromtseva’s first solo exhibition in New York, Heart Left in the Bag, on Friday, January 10, from 6–8 PM, at Plato Gallery. This groundbreaking show features Muromtseva’s signature “shadow” watercolor portraits, created during interview sessions with female immigrants from countries including Austria, Iran, the Philippines, and Ukraine.

Born in the USSR in 1990, Muromtseva is a New York-based visual artist with international acclaim. Her works have been showcased at prestigious venues like the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the Garage Museum. She is also a recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship and the Innovation Contemporary Art Prize.

Themes and Techniques

• Watercolor Portraits: Muromtseva projects shadows of her subjects, traces their outlines, and uses watercolors to depict their stories. The fluidity of the medium reflects the challenges of identity shifts and adaptation faced by immigrants.

• Monumental Triptychs: The exhibition features three large triptychs that expand the narratives of individual sitters into mythic proportions.

Personal and Historical Storytelling

Muromtseva explores personal memories within larger historical contexts by asking interviewees, “When did you feel that you live in history?” The stories reflect transformation, resilience, and shared humanity.