Artist: Carol Prusa

Carol Prusa (USA, b.1956), a graduate of Drake University with a Master degree in painting, currently resides and works in North Carolina, USA. Prusa inherits the silverpoint drawing technique from the Renaissance period, delving into astrophysics to interpret the chaotic interactions of cosmic evolution. Through the meticulous and refined grayscale of silverpoint, Prusa intricately incorporates sculpture forms, portraying the beauty of cosmic anomalies, and has gained recognition for her unique artistic expression. She has received the SECAC Artistic Achievement Award and has been invited to exhibit at the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her works are featured in several silverpoint history books, permanently housed in over a dozen museums across the United States, including the Perez Museum of Art in Miami, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and the Telfair Museums. She has held major solo exhibitions at various institutions, including the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the Norton Museum of Art.

Science and art intersect in Prusa's work. She states, " I seek to communicate what cannot be seen but felt, the vibrations that are part of us all, including echoes from billions of years ago. Like scientists, I seek new ways to explain our place and manifest the most complete understanding of our world." Fascinated by the "Big Bang" theory at the age of ten, Prusa avidly studied microbiology, pathology, mathematics, and astrophysics, pondering why things are so complex and overwhelming, yet our breathing feels natural, simple, and calm. While seeking answers in science, she found that through metaphor and poetry, combined with the beauty of art and vision, she could find greater satisfaction. She views science and art as a way to understand one's place in the universe. Prusa's recent research includes astronomical cosmogenesis and theories of the origin and evolution of life, incorporating concepts such as "Strange Attractors" and "Friedmann Equations" into her artistic transformation. Unlike the Friedmann Equations, her works are filled with hope and possibilities, challenging the notion that Friedmann only describe the universe's physical laws. Her creations visualize what it feels like to live within these matrices of ideas, portraying the joy of breathing amid chaos, where seemingly random events ultimately lead to encounters akin to poetry, just like strange attractors. Life is strange, surprising, complex, beautiful, chaotic, non-random yet resilient, and constantly interacts with chaos.

Silverpoint Drawing: Flourishing during the Renaissance, this ancient technique was favored by masters such as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael for its delicate portrayal. Prusa was inspired by the paintings in Renaissance domed churches and began immersing herself in silverpoint drawing, merging her fascination with astronomy, natural sciences, and the mysteries of the universe. Prusa combines the ancient silverpoint technique with contemporary media such as sculpting resin, fiberglass, metal foils, and even LED lights, allowing us to imagine the chaos of the universe's origin. Depending on the complexity and scale of her creations, a single piece may take thousands of hours to complete. Initially focusing on hemispherical forms, she gradually mastered the 360-degree sphere and recently transitioned to innovative flat artworks. Every piece symbolizes the intersection of the known and unknown, with balanced and repetitive geometric statements reflecting the logic of the universe's rotation. American art critic Margherita Dessanay commented, " Carol Prusa uses art to investigate “the boundless wonders of the universe” , and creates a new vision of the powers of the universe in each artwork she makes."

In January 2025, Bluerider ART London·Mayfair presents the exhibition "Carol Prusa: Strange Attractors," the artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK. The show features the titular artwork, Strange Attractors, a monumental nine-meter-long scroll, and a series of delicate silverpoint drawings. Strange Attractors, a striking exploration of the dynamic forces shaping human energy and the cosmos, depicts a person's chakra or energy lines flowing outward, symbolizing the interconnectedness of the individual within the universe. The lines reflect the balance between internal vitality and the external forces governing cosmic and human existence. On the reverse side of the scroll, Prusa’s poetry deepens the work’s conceptual richness, offering a reflection on the experience of being alive. Her verses explore existence’s phenomenological sensation, engaging with the Friedman Equations—key to cosmological theory—by linking abstract cosmic evolution with human life. Through this fusion of science and art, Prusa suggests that the chaotic forces of the universe mirror the fluid energy animating the human body. Prusa’s silverpoint drawings on paper merge simplicity and complexity, with geometric forms—especially circular compositions—interwoven with overlapping lines to create dynamic equilibrium. The delicate silverpoint technique gives these works quiet precision. Each drawing reveals order within apparent chaos, inviting contemplation.

Prusa’s exploration of symmetry and pattern reflects nature’s mathematical elegance and a metaphysical inquiry into balance between structure and fluidity, order and spontaneity. These works engage viewers in a meditative experience through their carefully crafted complexity. The beauty and interconnectedness of breath and painting, amidst controversial cosmological concepts, as beautifully articulated by Mary Oliver in "Upstream": "Its (arts) concern is the edge, and the making of a form out of the formlessness that is beyond the edge."