Burnaby artist Masha Tikhonova wants to remind people that it is what's inside that counts - and what is inside is beautiful and vibrant and essential.
Tikhonova's anatomy paintings focus on the interior of the body, the organs and internal systems that are far more important than our external appearance, she points out.
With rich shades of red, orange, gold, purple and green, the liver is transformed into a visual harmony of curves and patterns in one of Tikhonova's paintings.
In another, a pregnant torso is shown from the side, containing a revelry of junglelike foliage.
Her paintings perform a useful function, too; showing patients in medical offices the beauty of an internally healthy body.
Tikhonova is marketing her anatomy artwork to doctors' offices and clinics, she says, and is creating a website where doctors can order prints as well as original work.
"My whole idea is to share my passion for art," she says.
Tikhonova became interested in art at three years old when she was in St. Petersburg, Russia. She has been creating ever since, she says.
When she moved to Canada 10 years ago, she began attending the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, she says.
Since then, Tikhonova has gone from being a student of art to teaching it at Pinocchio Arts and Craft School in the Heights.
"At Emily Carr I was taking an anatomy course," she says, "which I totally fell in love with."
She particularly loved projects that combined anatomy and art, where students depicted organs and other parts of the body in a visually creative way. Of particular interest to her were the patterns in the body, she says.
"I was quite amazed at how creative you can get when you think about mixing art and science," Tikhonova says. "I wanted to uncover the true meaning of organs.
"My purpose is to raise awareness of the body, of health, to start people thinking of the inside versus the outside," she adds.
Tikhonova is getting some prints done for a clinic in Port Moody, she says, and has been speaking with another clinic in Port Coquitlam.
A medical clinic in Montreal, Que. that specializes in the liver also bought some of her work, she says, and she has been approached by midwives regarding her pregnancy artwork.
And soon, Tikhonova will be pitching her paintings on the CBC program, Dragons' Den.
She has always been a fan of the show, she says, and had the opportunity to audition a few months ago. Last month, she was notified that she will be taping a segment for the show and would be going to Toronto, Ont. on May 4.
"It is a TV show, so they want something different," she says.
While she doesn't know if her segment will appear on air, Tikhonova says she's still excited about the opportunity.
"I honestly did not expect to be selected," she says, adding those involved with the show were impressed with her work. "The producer said she'd never seen anything like that."
Tikhonova's blog featuring her work can be found at www.imagience.com, and she is launching a website to market her work on May 7, at creativeanatomyart.com.
jfuller-evans @burnabynow.com
