Barkas

BARKAS is the creative team of Olena Kassian and Ann Bartok.

BARKAS sculptures are known for their unique forms, built with wood fibre material combined with recycled components. Increasingly, we work with metal and industrial elements, to design pieces that can be placed in exterior as well as interior environments.

Ann Bartok collaborates with Architectural Designers from conceptual drawings to final placement, creating sculptures, mobiles, and murals that enhance architectural spaces.

Currently, Ann Bartok focuses on designing and creating steel sculptures, working closely with fabricators to produce pieces in various sizes tailored to specific locations. She often incorporates humour into her work, engaging the public and generating shareable content for platforms like Instagram, further promoting each project.

Olena Kassian studied Drawing and Painting at the Ontario College of Art and the University of Guelph.

She retired from commercial illustration to make room for a studio practice, producing large graphite drawings on mylar, and exhibiting with galleries such as Oeno in Picton County Ontario, Mittica Gallery in Toronto, and Eli Klein in New York. The drawings gradually evolved into an exploration of abstraction and sculptural forms.