Anna Bila - Traces of Becoming

Anna Bila | 2026 | 100 × 100 cm

Ink and pigments on stitched cotton canvas
Seams Series

Description

Traces of Becoming belongs to Anna Bila’s ongoing Seams series, in which separately painted fragments of canvas are physically joined together to create a new, unified composition.

Rather than using canvas as a passive surface, Bila treats it as an active element of the artwork. Individual pieces are painted, cut, rearranged, and stitched together. The visible seams become part of the composition, marking the points where different colours, textures, and material histories meet.

In this work, two contrasting surfaces coexist within a single square composition.

On the left, delicate washes of warm ochre, muted turquoise, and soft coral spread across the fabric, forming unpredictable organic shapes. Small, concentrated accents of deep blue interrupt the fluid transitions, introducing a subtle sense of movement and depth.

On the right, a rich field of burnt orange creates a quieter, more concentrated visual space. The vertical seam separating the two sections establishes a clear structural boundary, while their shared warmth creates an underlying sense of continuity.

The contrast between spontaneous pigment movement and the deliberate act of stitching is central to the work. What initially appears fragmented becomes a new whole, without concealing the traces of its construction.

The Seams series extends Bila’s ongoing interest in transformation and transitional states. Here, transformation takes place not only within the painted image but also through the physical reconstruction of the canvas itself.

Working with water, inks, and pigments, the artist allows absorption, gravity, and chance to participate in the creative process, while maintaining an active dialogue with the materials.

Traces of Becoming reflects the idea that unity does not necessarily require uniformity. Separate elements can retain their individuality while becoming part of something new.

Artwork Details
• Artist: Anna Bila
• Title: Traces of Becoming – XL
• Year: 2026
• Dimensions: 100 × 100 cm
• Technique: Mixed media, inks and pigments on stitched cotton canvas
• Series: Seams
• Condition: Original, unique artwork
• Signature: Hand-signed by the artist on the reverse
• Certificate: Certificate of Authenticity included
• Shipping: Shipped stretched on its original wooden stretcher, ready to hang. Carefully packed for safe transportation.

About the Artist

Anna Bila is a Ukrainian visual artist currently living and working in Turin, Italy.

The continuous process of becoming lies at the core of her artistic practice. She is interested in transitional states, when a person, an image, or a form exists between two conditions — no longer what it once was, but not yet something new.

For the artist, nothing in the world is ever truly complete. Living and non-living nature alike are in a constant state of transformation, whether those changes unfold within seconds or over much longer periods of time.

Selected Exhibitions

2025 — “JUICY JUNE”
Group exhibition, Marktgalerie, Düsseldorf, Germany

2022 — “DESENSITISATION”
Solo exhibition, Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odesa, Ukraine

2022 — “SENSING PLACES, PLACING SENSE”
Group exhibition, ODP Galerie, Leipzig, Germany

2022 — “ODESA REFLECTIONS”
Group exhibition, GOLAB, Milan, Italy

Official website: annabila.art

The artwork is an original, unique work, signed by the artist on the reverse and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

The artwork is shipped stretched on its original wooden stretcher and is ready to hang immediately upon arrival. It will be carefully packed for safe transportation.