Igor & Marina - "Shadow and Light," 2026, oil / acrylic on paper, (detail)
Igor and Marina’s current exhibition, The Shadow Lives Where There Is Light, is on view at Zolla Lieberman Gallery in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The exhibition features six loosely painted works on paper that offer a glimpse into the artists’ collaborative process.
As the gallery’s press release describes: "Across the six works, figures occupy spaces that resist conventional narrative. Some appear absorbed in contemplation or conversation, while others seem suspended within environments constructed as much through line, texture, and color. Drawn lines travel across bodies and backgrounds, while dense areas of color give way to the untreated surface of the paper. The resulting images suggest stories without fully revealing them."
Preparatory painted sketches offer insight into the making of a painting, capturing moments when ideas are explored, and revised. Far from being secondary to the finished work, these studies reveal the artist’s decision-making process—how composition, color, light, gesture, and even mood is explored before the final image takes shape. These preparatory works preserve moments of experimentation and uncertainty.
Igor & Marina - "Shadow and Light," 2026, oil / acrylic on paper, 49 x 37 in. (frame)
Yet these sketches can be more than a record of what is to come. As finished works in their own right, they often possess a looseness and fluidity that may be less apparent in the final canvas—where decisions become more resolved and the execution more deliberate. While some patrons may prefer the spontaneity of a sketch and others the refinement of a finished painting, there is something special about both experiences.
As an educator, I have always found that sharing the evolution of a work helps students understand the creative process. Having admired, and occasionally curated the work of Igor and Marina, I was excited to see that they devoted an exhibition specifically to their painted sketches. These preliminary works—unique to me—offer an opportunity to appreciate not only their imagery but also the experimentation and artistic decisions that contribute to its development.
Whether exploring a loosely painted sketch or a tightly rendered canvas, what makes Igor and Marina’s work compelling is the merging of visual references to the Old Masters with the freedom of contemporary painting. Their collaboration produces a creative dialogue shaped by differences as well as a shared vision. The resulting imagery reflects a partnership where ideas evolve through an ongoing exchange—something neither artist could have arrived at in quite the same way alone.
Igor and Marina’s The Shadow Lives Where There Is Light continues at Zolla Lieberman Gallery through October 17. Zolla Lieberman is located at 325 W. Huron St. in Chicago. zollaliebermangallery.com
Igor & Marina have had exhibitions at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and Northeastern Illinois University. Their paintings can be found in many national and international collections. They live and work in Chicago.
Zolla/Lieberman Gallery was established in 1976 by Roberta Lieberman and Robert Zolla within a then-desolate industrial neighborhood now known as the River North Gallery District. They transformed a vacant industrial space into a hub for contemporary art, laying the foundation for the thriving art community that the area is today.
Now located at 325 W Huron St, William Lieberman continues to uphold the legacy of quality and professionalism established since the gallery’s founding. Z/L represents a diverse range of artists and genres that offer a dynamic view of contemporary art in Chicago. They are dedicated to providing personal attention to both beginning and established collectors, as well as other art professionals.
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