‘Past & present’ in celebration of Flora Yukhnovich’s solo exhibition ‘Bacchanalia’
Flora Yukhnovich with Inner-City Arts participants in ‘Flora Yukhnovich. Bacchanalia,’ Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles, 2025. Photo: Noé Montes
‘Past & present’ in celebration of Flora Yukhnovich’s solo exhibition ‘Bacchanalia’
On the occasion of Flora Yukhnovich’s solo exhibition ‘Bacchanalia’ on view in Downtown Los Angeles, ‘Past & Present’ is a new Learning initiative in collaboration with Arts for Healing and Justice Network, Grand Arts and Inner-City Arts. Each partner organization operates across Los Angeles, providing valuable arts education that empowers young people to become confident, creative and collaborative individuals. The project was also made possible due to the warm support and encouragement of Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, CA and Hauser & Wirth Publishers.
Responding to Yukhnovich’s expressive interpretations that draw from the traditions of 18th-century European painting, the learning team invited high school students to explore the intersection of historical traditions and contemporary artistic practices.
The project started with an art history lesson led by local teaching artist Reina Alvarez, followed by a guided visit to Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Spending time with the museum’s permanent collection ignited the students’ research process, considering how artists have long engaged with the past to reinterpret and inform their own voice and visual language. An important American collector of the 20th Century, Norton Simon believed deeply in the power of art to communicate and reflect the human condition, stating that ‘art at its finest gives us a deep sense of history, tradition, and the true potentialities of man's creativity’.
The students were able to spend time with Yukhnovich remotely via zoom during the early stages of the project, initiating discussions around the contemporary artist’s ability to seamlessly bridge tradition and innovation, blending styles, color and form to work at the edge of painterly possibilities. The lively conversation continued in person when the artist led a private walkthrough of her new solo exhibition with the group. The exchange covered how she finds inspiration, her vast collection of images and references that find their way into the work and when to follow your instincts.
Running simultaneously to the students’ discussions with Yukhnovich, each young person developed an original bookmark design, inspired by the historical art movements and fusion of styles they had observed. The bookmarks are not replicas, but a unique reimagining of how the past can inform the present through personal expression. Each student-designed bookmark will be featured in the official exhibition catalogue.
‘While making my bookmark I thought about how important our cultures and traditions are since they play a crucial role in shaping identities and enriching our lives. Meeting Flora helped me get inspired by different art styles and incorporating that style into my design with my own perspective and interpretations.’—Lianna V.
About ‘Flora Yukhnovich. Bacchanalia’
Taking inspiration from art historical genres, ranging from French rococo and Italian baroque to abstract expressionism, British artist Flora Yukhnovich’s paintings explore materiality and process through cascading forms that shift between representation and abstraction. For her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles, Yukhnovich will present her latest body of work, a series of canvases inspired by Bacchanalia. Addressing the excesses of consumerism and popular culture, her lush, swirling brushstrokes evoke the dynamism and intense corporeality of both ancient and contemporary hedonism.
Learn more about ‘Flora Yukhnovich. Bacchanalia’ and exhibition catalogue from Hauser & Wirth Publishers.
Learn more about our partners: Arts for Healing and Justice Network, Inner-City Arts, Grand Arts
Photos: Flora Yukhnovich with Inner-City Arts participants in ‘Flora Yukhnovich. Bacchanalia,’ Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles, 2025. Photo: Noé Montes
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