Yuliya Helgesen-Thompson:
Atmospheric Excavation
March 1 - April 30, 2026
image: “Ironbound”, acrylic on canvas, 24” x 24”, 2026
@ The Collins Pub / Pioneer Square
Atmospheric Excavation
Artist Statement:
My work is an atmospheric excavation of the urban pulse—a deliberate, high-end performance of texture and light. As a technical technologist of the medium, I treat the canvas as a site of construction rather than reflection. Make no mistake: this is a show, not a confession. There is no diary to be read here. These works are not windows into a private struggle; they are mirrors of a public seduction.
I use recognizable anchors—the sharp silhouette of the Space Needle or the deep sea-hues of Seattle—to construct a visual stage where grit and luxury collide. While symbols like the cardinal feather hint at new beginnings, they are not clues to be solved; they are structural elements of the seduction that pulls the viewer in. I build, bury, and carve through the medium to create a tactile history that refuses to explain itself. The story isn’t in the "why"—it is because.
Yuliya Helgesen-Thompson:
Instagram: instagram.com/fusedpalette
Yuliya Helgesen-Thompson
Artist Bio:
Yuliya Helgesen-Thompson is a multidisciplinary artist and educator whose work is a restless dialogue between geography and memory. Established in 1997, her professional journey began in Alaska before shifting to Washington in 2021. Born in the Soviet Union and raised in Germany, she rejects the stagnant question of "Where are you from?" in favor of a more urgent truth: I am from here, right now. Her paintings are not maps of a fixed past, but atmospheric excavations of the observations and deep-seated memories she carries into the present.
Currently navigating a period of bold stylistic experimentation at her Fused Palette studio, her work functions as a vibrating threshold where "old world" grit meets the raw energy of the Pacific Northwest. Her legacy includes permanent public installations for the Anchorage School District and the Renton Art Commission, with her paintings held in private collections across the globe. Today, she focuses on a research-driven body of work that transforms historical inquiry into tactile, contemporary abstraction. Whether through her public commissions or mentoring the next generation of artists at SplashnPaint Studio, she proves that identity is not a pinpoint on a map, but a living, breathing landscape of experience.
CoCA ShowWalls is a show opportunity for CoCA Artist in partnership with local businesses.
Public Viewing at Gary Manual Salon:
Tues 8-6:30, Wed 8:30-7:30, Thu 9-7, Fri 8:30-7:30, Sat 8-6
528 2nd Avenue Seattle, WA 98104