Story by: Evelin Cabrera, Staff Writer
Photo by: Viviana Valencia, Editor-In-Chief
The Cypress College Art Gallery is hosting a retrospective exhibition titled The Blue Vibrations: Mila Gokhman, now open to the public through April 16. The show highlights decades of work by a 92-year-old artist whose pieces reflect resilience and creativity shaped by history.
Gokhman, a Kyiv-born artist, continues to create art daily, and the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience her work. The exhibit is paired alongside a parallel showcase titled Resilience featuring five art therapists. Together, the two exhibits emphasize the role of artistic expression in healing and personal well-being.
Gokhman’s art work stands out for its intricate use of color, texture and unconventional materials, according to gallery director Janet Owen Driggs. Trained as a civil engineer, Gokhman taught herself to work with leather, paper and other mediums, developing a unique artistic style.
“She has the most extraordinary capacity for using color and layering and texture in the most nuanced manner,” Driggs said. “If you take time to look at the work beyond glancing at it, it’s so intricate and complex.”
Gokhman’s artwork is deeply influenced by her life experiences. Born in 1934, she lived through World War II and the challenges of the Soviet Union before immigrating to the United States in 2000. Despite being excluded from many official exhibitions early in her career, her work gained international recognition over time.
Driggs explained that the exhibition offers students a chance to experience something new and find a sense of calm in the process.“Your mind has the opportunity to stop worrying,” she said. “We all need a space where we don’t worry. We all need a little more resilience”
The exhibition is free and open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show is scheduled to close on April 16, though organizers have said it may be extended. In addition to highlighting Gokhman’s work, the exhibition offers students a meaningful space to pause, reflect and experience the power of art in building resilience.
