|
Artist StatementYuliya Alagir is an international contemporary artist whose artistic research has evolved over more than two decades, encompassing conceptual symbolism, artistic research, and lyrical expressionism. At the core of her work lies an investigation into ancient symbolic structures and their continuation within contemporary visual language. Since 1999, Alagir has been developing the long-term artistic research project "Mystery of the Sun" — a systematic investigation into the visual language of symbols that preceded written culture. Her research encompasses works held in institutional and museum collections across Uzbekistan, Russia, Italy, France, Australia, and Canada. Her focus lies on universal symbolic structures that the human mind recognizes intuitively, at the level of deep cultural memory.
Through painting, Alagir examines how these archetypal forms continue to function in contemporary perception. In her works, the symbol becomes the structural foundation of the composition, while color serves as a guiding element that directs the viewer's attention, shifting perception from the level of image toward an intuitive recognition of symbolic form and the inner experience that follows. Following her relocation to Canada in 2018, this investigation expanded into a second, complementary direction — lyrical expressionism. In works inspired by the landscapes of Alberta, Alagir shifts from the inherited architecture of the symbol toward the immediate sensory experience of environment. Color, light, and texture generate atmosphere rather than description; landscape ceases to represent a specific location and instead emerges as a state of natural presence. New works in this direction are actively in development and available for acquisition. In this way, Alagir's practice integrates two complementary directions: the exploration of archetypal symbolic structures rooted in pre-written human consciousness, and the lived experience of natural environment through contemporary painting. Both share a single underlying methodology: accessing human perception beyond language. At the heart of her artistic system lies a transition from the archetypal symbol to the experiential space of environment. |
Biography
Yuliya Alagir is an international contemporary artist based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Born in Tashkent, Central Asia, she descends from the ancient Ossetian Kulaev clan of the Alagir Valley in North Ossetia–Alania.
She developed her artistic language through rigorous independent study of classical art and direct engagement with museum practice across multiple countries. Her medium is painting — oil and acrylic.
Since 1999, her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions across Central Asia, Europe, and North America. Her paintings are held in museum and institutional collections in Uzbekistan, Russia, Italy, France, Australia, and Canada, and in numerous private collections internationally.
In 2018, she relocated to Calgary, where she continues her practice and develops new bodies of work.
Yuliya Alagir is an international contemporary artist based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Born in Tashkent, Central Asia, she descends from the ancient Ossetian Kulaev clan of the Alagir Valley in North Ossetia–Alania.
She developed her artistic language through rigorous independent study of classical art and direct engagement with museum practice across multiple countries. Her medium is painting — oil and acrylic.
Since 1999, her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions across Central Asia, Europe, and North America. Her paintings are held in museum and institutional collections in Uzbekistan, Russia, Italy, France, Australia, and Canada, and in numerous private collections internationally.
In 2018, she relocated to Calgary, where she continues her practice and develops new bodies of work.
Professional Memberships
- Member of the Art Union of the Art Academy of Uzbekistan since 2001.
- United Art Rating — international registry of professional artists.
- Elected Member and Regional Director – The Prairies Region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC).
- Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA).
Selected Collections
Works by Yuliya Alagir are held in public and institutional collections internationally, including the Contemporary Art Museum of Uzbekistan (CAMUZ), the Lazgi Museum of Uzbekistan, the Exhibition Directorate of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, the National Bank of Uzbekistan, the CDHA Fund in Moscow, and the Central House of Artists in Moscow.
In Canada, her work is represented in the Diploma Collection of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) — the National Watercolour Collection, maintained since 1925 and held under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada.
Her paintings are also held in private collections across Canada, the United States, Italy, France, Israel, Australia, Russia, Uzbekistan, and the former Yugoslavia.
Works by Yuliya Alagir are held in public and institutional collections internationally, including the Contemporary Art Museum of Uzbekistan (CAMUZ), the Lazgi Museum of Uzbekistan, the Exhibition Directorate of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, the National Bank of Uzbekistan, the CDHA Fund in Moscow, and the Central House of Artists in Moscow.
In Canada, her work is represented in the Diploma Collection of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) — the National Watercolour Collection, maintained since 1925 and held under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada.
Her paintings are also held in private collections across Canada, the United States, Italy, France, Israel, Australia, Russia, Uzbekistan, and the former Yugoslavia.
EXPLORE YULIYA ALAGIR’S ARTISTIC WORLD
Explore her artistic journey, curatorial perspectives and selected media features.