Artist to Watch: Julia Levitina

Contemporary Sculpture Spotlight > There is a lot of superb realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.

Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Julia Levitina (b. 1981) is a classically trained sculptor, currently residing in Philadelphia, who creates poignant bronzes packed with metaphorical meaning. After earning a B.A. from Georgetown University, she joined the graduate program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, followed by in-depth figurative studies at the Schuylkill Academy of Fine Art (both in Philadelphia).

As Levitina’s education and life experience continue to evolve, so too does the way she sees the world and seeks to convey it. “The gift of being an artist is twofold: seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary and communicating that sense of wonder by way of art,” she notes. “I am inspired, challenged, and moved to my deepest core by the beauty present in ordinary existence.”

The physical act of creating is as compelling a motivator to Levitina as the finished artwork itself. In her Philadelphia studio and foundry, the artist is in charge of the entire creative process, from concept to clay to casting. “To be a sculptor is to be a craftsman,” she states. “I mix my own clay, make metal armatures to support my sculptures, and create molds for reproducing my finished pieces in wax. I coat these waxes in heat-resistant ceramic to produce bronzes via a centuries-old cire perdue [lost-wax] process.” The artist then pours her own bronzes, welds and finishes the metal, and builds supports for the completed sculptures.

Levitina depicts figures and animals, but a particularly moving contemporary sculpture created in 2021 is an amalgam of figure and animal, one that points to her artistic lineage demarcated by the Greeks, Michelangelo, and so on. “Invisible Bird Sing,” illustrated above, is a delicately designed composition connecting a forlorn but resilient face to the outstretched wing of a bird in flight.

“Conceived at the height of the international [Covid] lockdowns, this work is the unspoken verse about our shared experiences,” Levitina says. “Not only of the pandemic and the isolation that ensued, but also of human resilience and ingenuity in the face of despair, in the face of war even. It’s a powerful reminder that hope has an enduring and continuing presence.”

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