Sasha Kinens: Momenti

In Momenti, Sasha Kinens gathers fragments of time - architectural studies, portraits, plein air sketches, gilded birds, and monumental figures - into a body of work that feels both personal and enduring. The title, Italian for “moments,” reflects the varied subject matter of the exhibition: each painting captures a distinct encounter, yet together they form a layered meditation on place, memory, and presence.

Inspired by her years in Italy, Kinens paints the cloister of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, a study of Saint Rita from the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, and intimate mini-rounds echoing European tile designs. Plein air sketches from Florence and Murano sit alongside Venetian-inspired portraits and swifts suspended in gold leaf - figures and forms that seem to hover between the earthly and the sacred.

Accompanying the paintings, Kinens shares photographs used as references, along with gold leaf and studio tools, offering viewers insight into her process.

A figurative oil painter, Kinens apprenticed with master artist James Prohl in Milwaukee’s Fifth Ward in the atelier tradition of the École des Beaux-Arts. She later continued her studies at Hillsdale College under Richard Serrin, working in the Renaissance-Baroque tradition in Florence, Italy.

Influenced by Classical Realism and Symbolism, Kinens’ paintings evoke a timelessness within contemporary life. Momenti becomes not just a collection of scenes, but an invitation to pause, to look closely, and to experience how a single moment can hold multitudes within it.