Diana Ruban: Crafting Identity Through Art
by Mariia Manuіlenko
In the realm where figurative meets naïve art lies the creative plain of Diana Ruban, a self-taught Ukrainian artist whose captivating work explores the topics of culture, individuality, and a shared human experience. Bringing together bold contours, realistic details, and experimental textures, Ruban transforms familiar themes into symbolic visual narratives that challenge conventional notions and inspire a deeper insight into traditional topics.
Born in 1999 in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, Ruban’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in her childhood. Her father’s unfulfilled artistic ambitions left a lasting impression on Diana, bringing out a desire to create that blossomed, despite their estranged relationship. Her mother and grandparents, blue-collar workers, grounded in the industrial world, instilled in Diana a resilience and work ethic that would later prove invaluable.
“I have always loved drawing and wanted to pursue a profession where I could apply my skills and passion for creating art, but I couldn’t afford formal art education. My mother worked at a factory, and so did my grandmother and her husband – they all worked at a manufacturing plant making wheels. My father is a creative soul whose longing to bring art into the world was left unfulfilled – he satisfies his inner aspirations by working as a tattoo artist. We’ve grown apart over the years, but I kept some of his drawings as mementos that remind me of the time when his art became the spark that ignited my desire to draw and create something beautiful,” – reflects Diana.
Ruban’s contrasting upbringing directly influenced her distinctive visual language, which is a nuanced melange of historical influences and contemporary sensibilities fused into a seamless blend where each brushstroke echoes the voices of the old masters while forging a distinctive vision that is uniquely her own. Her figures, reminiscent of Fernando Botero’s iconic, rounded forms, exude a sense of abundance, their soft curves are both profound and playful. Their overdeveloped bodies are complemented by notably simplified facial features, which imbue the figures with a timeless, almost otherworldly grace that invites the viewer to behold a vision of eternal beauty.
As if a tribute to the work of Henri Matisse, Diana Ruban distills a form into its simplest essence, capturing movement and joy in each individual brushstroke, while her emphasis on simplified, primitive forms and bold color choices resonates deeply with Paul Gauguin’s pictorial aesthetics. Diana’s flattened pictorial space and use of vibrant, unrestrained color pallets convey a sense of raw authenticity, while her focus on folk and non-Western art traditions channels Gauguin’s explorations of the exotic and the elemental. Salvador Dalí and Ukrainian artists Iryna Maksymova and Vova Keno have also influenced her work, blending surrealism and abstraction into a unique form of creative expression. Emerging together on her canvases, these classical influences enrich Diana Ruban’s artworks and introduce a layer of modernity that complements her traditional roots.
“In my paintings, I communicate feelings and emotions that draw inspiration from flowers, nature in general, and from female beauty and strength. My work reflects my vision of the world, as I experiment with shapes and colors…Sometimes, I feel like everything in the world has already been invented, and I’m simply playing with colors and forms.”
— Diana Ruban
The unique aspect of Ruban’s work lies in the way she harmonizes these varied influences into her own cohesive, signature style. The recurring motif of blue-colored human figures within warm, glowing surroundings creates an iconography that is unmistakably hers – one that ties in the past and the present, bringing together tradition and innovation into a well-balanced and unified canvas. Her work is a testament to the ever-evolving dialogue between artistic legacies and contemporary reinvention, embracing imperfection as a source of beauty and offering a timeless representation of the human experience.
For Ruban, the creative process is as much about introspection as it is about technique. “I immerse myself in thoughts, reflecting on my life and existences,” explains the artist. These reflections take the form of vivid mental imagery, which Diana translates into initial sketches that will later be transformed into her artworks.
Working primarily with acrylics, oil paint, and oil pastels, Ruban values the versatility of her preferred mediums. Acrylics offer quick-drying flexibility, oil paint provides depth and vibrancy, while oil pastels add a sense of texture to her compositions. Over the past seven years, Diana has perfected the technique of applying multiple layers to her canvases to create artworks that showcase spatial depth and at the same time are deeply meaningful.
Her art dissects universal emotions and experiences, weaving them into collective narratives that are both generic and profoundly personal. This cerebral exploration resonates with the audience, who often see echoes of their own life stories in Diana’s work.
As a mother to a five-year-old son, Ruban has embraced the challenges of merging her professional career as an artist with her family life. Today, her son is a part of her creative process, often drawing alongside her as she works.
Ruban’s art has reached audiences far beyond her native Ukraine. In just three years, she has participated in more than 30 exhibitions across Europe and the United States. Her second solo exhibition The Ones Born by the Light, organized by Rukh Art Hub – a creative initiative that promotes Ukrainian artists in the USA, and Mriya Gallery, was held in New York in December 2024 and became her latest milestone.
At 25, Ruban has achieved many of her goals and aspirations, and today her focus has shifted from compelled and determined toward a more deliberate and fulfilling approach to art. Rejecting the relentless pursuit of perfection, she now seeks to create solely to unfold her artistic vision, to promote her personal growth, and to establish a heartfelt connection with her viewers.
“I want to move beyond the exhausting chase for a utopian ideal,” Diana notes. This liberating perspective has allowed her to embrace imperfection as a source of beauty and inspiration, both in her art and in life.
Looking forward to new exhibitions planned for early 2025, Ruban remains attuned to the unpredictabilities of life and their impact on her work. “Life is a constant change,” says Diana, “and the way it may shape my art is always a discovery.”
Diana Ruban’s artistic and spiritual journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the transformative power of self-expression. Her art is not only a reflection of her personal evolution but also a metaphorical mirror where viewers can catch glimpses of their own stories and experiences, finding beauty in the mundane and in the unexpected. Through her distinctive vision, she continues to sculpt a lasting legacy in the field of Ukrainian contemporary art.
Link to a page
https://www.rukharthub.com/the-ones-born-by-the-light/
Cover photo: photografer Abby Stearns
