♡ Seeing Beyond the Surface

The Quiet Power of Stillness in Art.

Stillness isn’t empty — it’s alive with presence. It’s where we hear what the world usually drowns out.
Where truth rises to meet us — our own, and sometimes someone else’s.
For me, stillness is where the deepest connection to art begins.

Stillness opens us to the hidden language of art — the stories that live beneath the surface.
It allows us to feel more than we see, inviting body and spirit to sense what the mind can’t always explain.

I often lose myself (for hours) in galleries and museums. Art is oxygen — something I need simply to keep breathing. One of my favourite places to wander in Sydney is the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was the first gallery I visited after moving to Australia.

I still remember entering the Aboriginal art collection and being greeted by a yellow-hued painting — radiant, alive, almost smiling at me. I smiled back instinctively. There was such joy in it. I could feel the artist’s presence in every flick of the brush, as if sunshine had been poured onto canvas. It felt like meeting someone through light and colour.

Further in, a series of solemn, grounding sculptures stopped me in my tracks. They held so much history, pain, and spirit that I quietly wept. I felt the presence of ancestors, and of the land itself, speaking through the work. This wasn’t performance. This was raw honesty. Sacred stillness.

That’s what art can do. It bypasses the intellect and speaks directly to the soul.

Stillness During Chaos

These reflections feel even more urgent now.
We are living in deeply unsettled times — where the world roars with war, injustice, illness, division, and noise.

And when so many people, including your loved ones, are affected by grief, cancer, conflict, or systems that fail, the chaos isn’t just “out there.” It enters the body. It inhabits your day. It spills into your studio. On those days, stillness becomes the only way to be. Stillness becomes my medicine. My refuge. My prayer.

I paint not to escape the pain, but to hold it — to honour it — and gently transform it. In stillness, I remember who I am.

The most powerful things in life do not shout — they whisper.

There are days that I just let the brush move and colours call my name. I highly recommend that everyone try to create without any expectations. That’s how healing begins — not in answers, but in presence.

Stillness as a Spiritual Experience

Some of the most profound artists have understood this.

Agnes Martin painted in silence, with subtle grids and soft washes, like they were disappearing. Her work doesn’t speak loudly — it invites stillness. Standing before one of her canvases feels like sitting in a chapel: quiet, spacious, and held.

Mark Rothko’s vast colour fields draw us inward, into emotions we cannot name. I’ve seen people cry in front of his work without knowing why. It happened to me and many of my clients when seeing my work. That’s what happens when energy becomes visible.

Hilma af Klint — long ignored by the mainstream — painted from visions, intuition, and a deep spiritual place. Her works weren’t made to impress. They were offerings. I’m fascinated by her work, which I would describe in my own words as “spiritual geometry”.

And here in Australia, Emily Kame Kngwarreye shows us that stillness doesn’t mean lack of movement. Her work pulses with ancestral memory and connection to Country. Her paintings are maps of Dreaming — alive with presence. I especially adore her Ntange Dreaming, where I can almost see images moving within the surface.

Emily’s work is currently being honoured in a major exhibition at Tate Modern in London — Emily Kam Kngwarray.

Dear artists, friends, and colleagues in London, please take the opportunity to experience her work. Let it move you. Let it teach you.

A Painting from My Practice — Tranquillity

One of my latest artworks that speaks deeply of stillness is Tranquillity, from the Liberty collection.

It was created in a time when stillness was not only healing, but it was a necessary act to pause. I remember gently swinging my brush from side to side across the canvas, layering soft blends of light and colour. The movement was meditative, and the white light peeking through felt like a sign of home — of return, of rejuvenation.

Several admirers have been drawn to this piece. Some have described seeing a woman reclining on a swing, as if suspended in a heavenly garden — a place of pure rest. I can see it too. Every time I look at Tranquillity, it brings me calm. It reminds me of what it feels like to be held, gently and without demand.

This oil painting with a poem is available for sale — and ready to find its way to a lucky collector.

In My Gallery — A Curated Studio Space

I felt that same quiet reverence when standing before Alyson Hayes’ Understory ceramic light sculptures in my gallery. Their gentle glow stopped me mid-step.

It was as though nature had found a way to sing through light — not loudly, but to be remembered.

That’s what stillness in art offers: remembrance.

Of who we are.

Of where we come from.

Of what truly matters.

People often say I have a “good eye” for art. But I think it’s less about the eye — and more about sensitivity.

Presence.

Energy.

As a curator and art collector, I don’t select work based on status or fashion. I don’t chase names. I follow the pulse.

I choose art that breathes, aches, uplifts.

Art that isn’t trying to fit in — but trying to speak truth.

Be Like Water

So next time you find yourself standing before a painting, a sculpture, a photograph — pause.

Let the noise fade. Let your body speak.

Ask not, “What does this mean?” but rather, “How does this feel?”

Stillness is not absence; it is a presence — deep, emotional, and alive.

And in times like these, perhaps the greatest wisdom — and the greatest art — asks us gently to:

Be like water that flows softly and try to adapt with grace.

Hold what you must and release what you cannot carry.

Shape your world not with force, but with quiet strength over time.

In stillness, I paint, and I write.

I do not create to escape the pain, the past, or the unknown.

I create to hold it — to sit with it — to honour its presence.

And in that tender, intimate space… something shifts.

The weight becomes colour.

The ache finds form.

What once hurt transforms into something that may one day heal — for me, and perhaps for someone else.

Each painting, each poem, is a meditation.

A slow, reverent exhale.

A way of letting sorrow speak — without drowning in it.

A way of letting joy arrive — even if only as a flicker of light across the canvas.

In stillness, I remember who I am.

Not a performer or a producer.

Just a feeling, breathing being — human before anything else.

And in that remembering, I’ve learned something essential:

The most powerful things in life do not shout.

They whisper.

They hum through colour.

They murmur through texture.

They glow quietly, like a lantern in the dark.

Wellness Whispers — my most personal collection yet — will be released in the coming months.

Born from moments of deep emotion, of witnessing illness, grief, a family affected by a war, grace, and healing, of praying through paint…

I hope these works offer calm. Compassion. Softness. Strength. Stillness.

May they become gentle companions for those walking hard roads.

May they remind you — even in your most silent moments —

You are not alone or broken.

You are a light that is already aglow.

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 love and colour,

Mira Corbova

Artist | Curator | Creator of ‘Art & Emotion’

Mira Corbova Art Gallery
www.miracorbova.com

♡ 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

www.miracorbova.com

♡ 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

The Healing Power of Colour: A Journey Through Art at The Other Art Fair Sydney, 8 - 11 May. ♡

This May, I’m thrilled to return to exhibiting at art fairs—this time in my adopted hometown of Sydney. :o)

The Other Art Fair, held at the White Bay Cruise Terminal, will feature around 130 independent artists, making it a truly special event. Come and meet me! At the fair, I’ll be showcasing my latest artworks and poems, exploring the profound emotional resonance of colour. As an abstract artist deeply attuned to the therapeutic qualities of colour, I invite you to discover how hues can evoke, soothe, and transform our inner landscapes.

Introducing Symphony of Life

I’m especially excited to unveil my newest piece, Symphony of Life, completed just in time for the fair. This artwork marks the beginning of my new collection, Wellness Whispers, and I’m delighted to share at least one piece with you, along with selections from my latest compilations. This vibrant work embodies the culmination of my recent explorations into colour’s capacity to heal and inspire. Accompanying this piece is a poem from my upcoming collection, Wellness Whispers, offering a lyrical reflection on the themes woven into the artwork.

The Wellness Whispers collection is an intimate dialogue between colour, emotion, and transformation. Each painting reflects life’s fluid journey—a gentle whisper to the soul, guiding it toward healing, renewal, and inner balance. The essence of life evokes moments of joy, harmony, and restoration. 

A Collection Rooted in Liberty

While I had hoped to present three new works from the newest collection along with the Liberty collection works, the creative process had its timeline. Recognising that some pieces needed more time to mature, I decided to focus on those ready to be shared. I’m pleased to present a selection from my latest collections, each piece resonates with the themes of freedom and emotional expression that continue to guide my work.

The Emotional Resonance of Colour

Colour is more than a visual experience; it’s a language of the soul. For me, colour is my mother tongue. From an early age, I have been captivated by its ability to convey emotion and meaning. My home reflects this passion—you won’t find much grey or black, as I gravitate towards hues that uplift and inspire.

In art therapy, specific colours are known to influence our emotional states. Warm tones like red and orange can energise and uplift, while cool tones like blue and green offer calm and solace. My work seeks to harness these qualities, creating spaces for reflection and healing.

Among the spectrum, gold and white hold a special place in my palette, such as iridescent gold - my signature colour. To me, these two hues represent light, positivity, and spiritual connection. Gold symbolises understanding and luck, often associated with spiritual mastery and illumination. White embodies purity and peace, signifying a high level of consciousness and an important life purpose. Together, these hues remind me that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, guiding us towards hope and renewal.

Intuitive Art and the Fusion of Poetry

Intuitive art speaks when words have no form or shape. Yet, my poetry, born from the depths of creation or just before capturing an emotion, captures the essence of the work in lush hues—an eloquent extension of the visual, where language becomes another canvas of expression. Some of my paintings will be accompanied by my poetry at this art fair; there are a few I also share on my website. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to publish them all!

So, come and join me at the fair—I would love to meet you! I invite you to visit my booth at The Other Art Fair Sydney to experience these pieces firsthand. Let’s explore together how colour can serve as a conduit for emotional well-being and artistic connection.

If you missed out on my complimentary tickets earlier this month, you can still purchase tickets to the fair here.

With warmth,

Mira Corbova
Artist | Storyteller & Healing Arts Advocate
@miracorbovaart