ABOUT THE ARTIST

Andrew Osta was born 1982 in Kiev Ukraine. During his childhood, his family lived for years on $10 usd a month, which was the going wage for doctors and engineers (like his parents), as well as for unskilled workers. Still, he had a happy childhood with a lot of freedom to explore. In 1994 his family immigrated to Canada. The resulting culture shock led to an intense search for meaning. In 2004, during his last semester at the University of Toronto studying philosophy and computer science, meaning was suddenly discovered in making art.

Initially, making art was therapeutic. After discovering that he had a talent for art, Andrew began drawing all of the time -  on busses, in class, and at home. His creations made him feel lighter, happier, and more like himself. Even his earliest works were highly acclaimed. Keith Widgor, founder of SurrealismNow.com called Andrew "a Surrealist Genius" in 2005, the year when he first picked up a paintbrush. The images below speak for themselves. These are some of Andrew's first drawings, first pastel paintings, and first acrylic painting. All were done with absolutely no knowledge about art, composition, materials, or color theory. To this day, Andrew has never taken an art class, not even in high school.

During 2007-2008, Andrew lived and worked in South Korea. In 2008-2009, he was among the founders of the first ever "Healing and Counseling Through Art" program in Canada. He worked under the supervision of an art therapist to help refugee youth overcome trauma through art. In 2009-2010, Andrew studied shamanism in Peru. Upon his return he wrote and published his first book (available on Amazon.) Although he clearly saw in several visions that shamanism was not his path, he retained his deep love and appreciation for plants, animals, and nature in general. Like Pablo Amaringo, the famous painter of Ayahuasca visions with whom Andrew exhibited in Peru in 2009, Andrew can paint visions and psychedelic art without partaking of the substance.

In 2011, Andrew moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. There he became a protege and close friend of the late Toller Cranston. After Cranston's untimely death in 2015, Andrew had a residency in Switzerland, exhibited in Italy and France, had an exhibition in the Museum of the City of Durango, and moved to Oaxaca in 2017 following the birth of his son. He continues to paint, write, and compose music full time, supporting himself and his family exclusively through his art since 2009.