♡ Art & Emotion: Imagine the ‘Unimaginable’.
July’s Blog: ♡ Art & Emotion: Imagine the ‘Unimaginable’
Creativity became my quiet rebellion
There were times, as a little girl, when I truly believed anything was possible — that maybe we were all just dreaming this life. Even during the most difficult moments, I found strength in one thing: imagination. I would imagine the unimaginable — painting colours into grey spaces, turning silence into stories, my emotions and experiences into paintings. Sometimes I created a theatrical world, a little play for my sister where I played every role: actor, director, and set designer, all in one.
Growing up under the restrictions of the Communist era and with an emotionally distant, often critical father, creativity became my quiet rebellion — a place where I could be me. The rules outside didn’t apply in my inner world. I created my own universe — one where magic lived in the mundane.
But alongside that magic, there were also voices.
One was my father’s, and his words still echo from time to time:
“You are nobody. You will not achieve anything.”
He wanted a son — but got a dreamy daughter instead. A daughter with her head in the clouds and stars in her eyes… and yet, tough as a cookie. Maybe I didn’t fit his expectations, but I grew into someone resilient, expressive, and fiercely imaginative. I built a life across countries and oceans — with art, poetry, and purpose — and eventually opened a gallery to share that vision with others.
Childhoods
Recently, I was reminded just how powerful our inner stories can be. During a heartfelt conversation with one of our represented artists, Janet Besancon, she spoke about her painting “Childhoods” — a piece rich with layered meaning and memory. Her story unlocked something deep within me.
“Childhoods painting speaks of the inner tension every immigrant can feel — between the love for their homeland and the joy of living in a beautiful, peaceful country like Australia. I grew up in the Champagne region, and this landscape evokes those memories. I’ve blended French and Australian pigments (from Gumbaynggirr country), as I now live and raise my children here. Our childhoods are different, yet intertwined. I also used gold pigments, because somehow, even as a child watching the sunset, I already knew — without really knowing — that one day, I would follow the sun to where it would lead me.”
– Janet Besancon
There’s a story in every artwork — some artists bravely share them, while others hold them quietly until the time is right.
Janet’s painting brought me back to a memory I had almost forgotten.
I must’ve been around seven. My mum had just bought a globe. I was fascinated by it — spinning it gently, tracing invisible journeys with my finger. One day, I intuitively pointed to a faraway land I had never seen or known much about.
“Hmm… I’d love to see this place,” I whispered.
It was Australia.
Then I saw New Zealand — to me, it looked like the end of the world. “Wow… this green land! Is it really all green?” I thought.
And just as the dream was beginning to take shape, I heard the voice of doubt — my mum’s in my head, and my sister smirking beside me:
“It’s too hard and too far to go to. You’ll never manage.”
That moment of sadness never fully left me. I remember silently wishing for a world with no borders — where people could go wherever their hearts took them. I found it painfully unfair that we were expected to stay in one place for life. But I didn’t stay.
At 16, I began to explore.
By 20, I moved to England.
Then I lived in New Zealand for a decade.
And today?
I live in that once-distant dot on the globe — Australia.
I made the unimaginable real.
“Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso
Art has taught me to embrace life with a “Yes, and…” mindset — to build on every moment, every turn, every opportunity. To be fluid and fearless.
To imagine the unimaginable is an act of courage. Of hope. Of trust.
As I often say:
Be like water — let it flow. Let your inner self speak. Let beauty find you in whatever form it appears.
Even in dusty corners. Even in hard times. Beauty finds a way — just as we do.
This month, I’ve found myself reflecting on the people we meet on this artistic path. Like Janet, whose deeply soulful work and stories I’m so honoured to share through my gallery. We connected instantly — proof that when we live with intention and openness, we truly attract like-minded souls.
These connections shape our lives, just as our creative expressions shape our healing.
So, as we settle into this cooler season, let art be your warmth. Let it inspire you. Let it remind you of your dreams — even the ones you buried long ago.
✧ Winter Exhibition: Hues & Verses
On now at Mira Corbova Art Gallery – until 31st July
A poetic, multi-sensory exhibition exploring healing, renewal, and joy through colour, nature and words.
✧ Coming Soon: Awakenings – Opening September
An uplifting spring collection featuring new works by Janet Besancon and fellow ‘Art & Emotion’ artists.
Stay connected — sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about new arrivals, upcoming exhibitions, art fairs, and our intimate art soirées.
With imagination and heart,
Mira Corbova
Founder | Artist | Curator – Mira Corbova Art Gallery
♡ Art & Emotion: Where the Heart Meets the Canvas.
May’s Blog: ♡ Art & Emotion: where the Heart Meets the Canvas.
Be like water - let it flow.
Art is energy in motion.
In a world that moves too quickly, art permits us to pause — to feel, reflect, and remember who we truly are.
At Mira Corbova Art, I’ve always believed that meaningful art doesn’t begin with trends or techniques — it begins with emotion. It begins with vulnerability. It begins with a desire to connect.
This belief is at the heart of Art & Emotion, a curatorial initiative I created to honour the healing, transformative power of visual storytelling. What started as a personal expression — my abstract paintings infused with poetry — has become something more: a space for collaboration, for feeling deeply, and for celebrating artists who create from the soul.
Art & Emotion: More Than a Collective
Art & Emotion is both a creative movement and a collaborative exhibition platform. Through this initiative, I curate intimate exhibitions in our gallery and on select art fairs that bring together my own expressive works with those of talented, guest artists — painters, sculptors, and ceramicists whose practice is deeply rooted in emotion and intuition.
Together, we explore themes such as:
• Solitude and connection
• Joy and grief
• Inner freedom and resilience
• Nature - Nurture
• Love in its rawest, most spiritual forms
Each exhibition is designed as an emotional journey — blending abstract visual language with poetic wordplay, organic textures and light, symbolic movement, and touches of surrealism or whimsy. It’s not just about what you see. It’s about what you feel.
In this space, art becomes a mirror for the soul. The gallery becomes a sanctuary for stillness, healing, and transformation.
What’s on in June: Hues & Verses - Group Exhibition,
Our next exhibition, Hues & Verses, opens this winter — a warmer show for the cooler season + a celebration of Matariki, New Zealand’s New Year. In Māori culture, Matariki is the Pleiades star cluster and a celebration of its first rising in late June or early July. The rising marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. The collection will feature emotionally charged abstract paintings, poetic ceramic pieces, and soulful sculptural works, all tied together through a shared language of colour and feeling.
Hues & Verses invites you to explore the unspoken verses hidden within every hue — a delicate dialogue between silence and sensation, movement and stillness.
Visit our current exhibition page to further details.
Welcoming New Artists This Winter
We’re also thrilled to welcome new artists to the gallery this winter, each bringing their unique voice to the Art & Emotion narrative. Their works will feature in upcoming exhibitions, adding fresh layers of depth, contrast, and connection to our curatorial story. I can’t wait to introduce you to them soon.
Join Us @ Our Next Art Soirée: 22 June
We’re very excited to invite our beloved art collectors and new visitors to a series of upcoming Art Soirées — intimate evenings of art, poetry, and connection with arty chats over a glass of bubbly, hosted within the gallery space. The next soirée is planned for the end of June, celebrating Hues & Verses and the spirit of Matariki with vibrant artworks, storytelling, and shared creative energy.
These gatherings are designed to nourish the senses and the soul — a chance to experience art not just on the walls, but in the air, the conversation, and the moment itself.
What’s Next for Art & Emotion?
Looking ahead, we’re also preparing submissions to present Art & Emotion at upcoming art fairs — sharing curated, emotionally driven collections with wider audiences. While nothing is confirmed yet, the vision is clear: to bring this heart-led work to new spaces, new cities, and new souls who are ready to feel.
Let’s Stay Connected
If you believe in art that heals, moves, and transforms — I invite you to be part of this journey.
Subscribe to our gallery’s newsletter for updates on events & exhibitions, behind-the-scenes moments, featured artists, and reflections on the art of feeling deeply.
Because Art & Emotion isn’t just an initiative — it’s a way of life.
With love and colour,
Mira Corbova
Artist | Poet | Curator | Creator of ‘ Art & Emotion’
@miracorbovaart
@mira_corbova_art__gallery