Xenia Burn is an abstract artist working with mixed media, primarily paper and alcohol inks. Her work explores the fragility of identity, the layered nature of human experience, and the ways in which memory is preserved and transformed over time. Through textures and organic tones, she reflects on the ephemeral and enduring qualities of paper as a metaphor for life itself.

 

Before transitioning to fine art, Xenia spent eight years in the fashion photography industry, collaborating with international brands, magazines, and modeling agencies in Ukraine and China. Her fascination with paper emerged from her early experiments with watercolor, where she became captivated by how the material absorbed, retained, and altered information—much like human memory. This realization led her to deeper explorations of paper’s physicality, from its delicate translucency to its structured resilience, mirroring the ever-changing nature of identity.

 

Her artistic influences range from historical figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hannah Höch, Jean Dubuffet, Francis Picabia, Kazimir Malevich, and Joan Miró to contemporary artists like Mark Bradford, Julie Mehretu, and El Anatsui—creators who push the boundaries of abstraction, layering, and material exploration. Drawing inspiration from psychology, migration, and sociopolitical change, Xenia examines the ways in which personal and collective identities evolve under external pressures.

 

Her work visualizes the complexities of human character—structured yet chaotic, transparent yet obscured, fragile yet enduring. Each piece is an attempt to translate the intangible essence of a person into a tactile, visual language. Xenia’s practice is an ongoing investigation into the ways individuals construct and reconstruct themselves, navigating the interplay between memory, history, and personal transformation.