“Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.”- Leonardo da Vinci I haven't heard this quote before. By some strange coincidence I accidentally came across it only a few weeks ago, as I was thinking of writing a... Continue Reading →
“Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds…”
Over the last couple of months, I have fallen off the face of the earth. Again. At least off of the blogosphere anyway. It has been a crazy couple of months for me, to say the least. Work has been stressful and I was in the process of being interviewed for a new job. Not... Continue Reading →
Slowly but surely the brain is emerging
After a brief hiatus earlier this year, I am back at my art table. I am not sure what was going on with me over the past couple of months, but I just couldn’t bring myself to start a new project. I have been marinating a few ideas and deciding on the best technical approach.... Continue Reading →
“Finding Your Self”
Finding Your Self, 2019 Here is the final version of this 5 month (!!!) long project. As a refresher, it is based on a closeup microscopy image of a retina, which is responsible for our sense of vision. The blue branches are blood vessels. The red strands are axons of neurons that transmit the information... Continue Reading →
The Retina – Part II
After finishing the SciArt Center residency with Darcy Johnson, I eagerly returned to this project. It is based on a pretty well known sciart image of a mouse retina, which is much more complex than those on which I've based most of my previous work. I knew that this project would take a very long time to... Continue Reading →
So grateful for this feedback
This quote was recently posted on Facebook in association with my latest piece "Sunrise". I am so thankful for the kind words from one of my customers Carla Harris! "I love the art of Yana Zorina, a neuroscientist whose artworks are inspired by her field of scientific research. I have been following this blog for... Continue Reading →
Creating retrospective art stories
Between the lines I was never a big fan of English classes in school. I really like to read, but it always irked me when a teacher would ask us questions about what the author may have meant to be read "between the lines". Unless the author wrote an autobiography, there is no way to... Continue Reading →
“Hope”
Ever since going through a traumatic experience in 2017, I have been working on expressing my emotions through art. In 2017, I created "Tortured", where the nerve scar represents a shocking life event that acts as a significant barrier to moving forward. Despite its presence, some brave growth tips manage to break through. They show resilience,... Continue Reading →
“Art of the Brain” Exhibition
I am thrilled to announce that my artwork will be featured at the”Art of the Brain” exhibit at Mount Sinai next Monday (3/12). There will be an opening reception and over 80 total pieces of scientific images and sculptures from Sinai. The reception will be held at 6 – 8 pm and the exhibit will... Continue Reading →
“All Wrapped Up”
Here is the long promised piece I made last year. It is based on a confocal microscopy image that I took at my previous job. All Wrapped Up, 2017 Just like a wire, neurons use electrical signals to convey information. And similarly to wires, neurons require outer insulation for efficient communication. This insulation is provided... Continue Reading →