As a child growing up in Russia, even before she knew they were called mosaics, Irina created collages from pieces of broken glass found in the street, rocks, paper, seashells, and bits of crockery. Through the years she experimented with various media for artistic expression but has now returned to her origin – mosaics. This medium gives her a chance to explore color, shape, pattern, and texture, and to satisfy the passion to integrate unrelated small bits of material into a single work of art.
Irina is a self-taught mosaicist. In addition to traditional mosaic tesserae - glass and stone - she incorporates unusual materials in her work – mirror, pebbles, found objects, beads, buttons, wire, handmade ceramic pieces, and broken plates. She never returns home empty handed from a walk on the beach or a trip. Beach glass, pebbles from a path on Hampstead Heath, a bit of bone from the shore are special little bits that are inserted into each mosaic to give it a special, personal meaning.
The themes of Irina’s mosaics range from the lyrical to the whimsical. She draws her inspiration from music, dance, nature, myths, legends, fairy tales, stories, poems, nightmares, hopes, desires, fears, jokes, fantasies, and other flights of the imagination.
Awards
Best in Show Award, Sum of All Parts: Contemporary Mosaic Art in North America, Portland, 2007
Members’ Choice Award, Opus Veritas, International Juried Show - Society of American Mosaic Artists, San Francisco, 2004
Exhibitions
2008
Mosaic Arts International Society of American Mosaic Artists at Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL
Inspired by… Juried Invitational Exhibition of Mosaic Art, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
2007
Mosaic Arts International, Mesa Contemporary Art Center, Mesa, AZ
Sum of All Parts, Walters Arts Center, Portland, OR; Best in Show Award
New Work, Solo Show at Trios Gallery, Solana Beach, CA
Festival of Arts, Laguna Beach, CA
2006
Made in California, City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA
Third Biennial Orange County Juried Exhibition, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton, CA
Fractured Light, The Lit Bar and Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
Mosaic: A Passion for Integration, Solo Show at Trios Gallery, Solana Beach, CA
Beneath the Surface, Society of American Mosaic Artists at High Risk Gallery, Chicago, IL
2005
Made in California, City of Brea Gallery, Brea, CA
A More Perfect Union, Ellipse Gallery, Arlington, VA
American Mosaic Project (AMP), Eleven-Eleven Sculpture Space, Washington, DC
2004
Opus Veritas: Fragments of Truth, Society of American Mosaic Artists at Museo ItaloAmericano, San Francisco; Members Choice Award
The Sum of All Parts, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX
Transformed by Fire, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA
Summer Art Show, Bistango Gallery Restaurant, Irvine, CA
2003
Earth Elements, Society of American Mosaic Artists, Miami, FL
Avant Garden, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA
Mixed Media Group Show, curated by Studio Gallery at Bistango Gallery Restaurant, Irvine, CA
Spring Mixed Media Exhibit, Hilton Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA
Jewish Women Artists of Orange County, Temple Bat Yahm, Newport Beach, CA
Publications
“Mosaic Masterpieces”, Orange Coast Magazine, June 2005
Featured Artist, Mosaic Artist’s Bible: Over 300 Traditional and Contemporary Designs, Theresa Mills, Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2005
Featured Artist, Mosaic Art and Style: Designs for Living Environments, JoAnn Locktov, Rockport Publishers, 2005
“Call Me Sentimental”, San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine, October, 2004
“Wild Tile: Mosaic Artist Irina Charny”, Orange County Home Magazine, February, 2004
Featured Artist, Mosaic Techniques & Traditions, Sonia King, Sterling Publishing, 2003
Featured Artist, The Art of Mosaic: Encyclopedia of Projects, Techniques and Designs, Sarah Kelly, Search Press Ltd, UK, 2003
Featured Artist, The Complete Sourcebook: Bathrooms, Source Publishers Ltd, India, 2003
Featured Artist, Plaster Mosaics, Kristin Peck, Krause Publications, 2003