BARKAS consists of a team of two artists: Ann Bartok and Olena Kassian. Ann collaborates closely with architectural designers from the earliest conceptual drawings through to the final placement of each piece. This integrated approach allows her to create sculptures, mobiles, and murals that respond to and enhance their surrounding spaces.Ann was honoured to be part of the Molinos project in Medellín, Colombia. The project received a prestigious award in recognition of her relief panels installed on the columns, which enable sight-impaired visitors to navigate the shopping mall with greater ease. In addition, a nine-metre-high stylized bamboo forest was created as a welcoming and tranquil space for shoppers to relax.Currently, Ann is focused on designing and creating steel sculptures, working in collaboration with fabricators to produce works of varying scales, tailored to their specific locations. Olena Kasian studied Drawing and Painting at the Ontario College of Art and the University of Guelph. Her career began in book publishing, where she illustrated sixteen children’s books, followed by a period working in advertising illustration for a broad range of international clients, including Nestlé, Del Monte, and Hong Kong Telephone.She later retired from commercial illustration to focus on a dedicated studio practice, producing large-scale graphite drawings on Mylar. Her work has been exhibited with galleries such as Oeno Gallery in Prince Edward County, Mittica Gallery in Toronto, and Eli Klein Gallery in New York. Over time, these drawings evolved into an exploration of abstraction and sculptural form.In 2012, Olena joined Ann Bartok to form BARKAS Productions, a collaboration that has become one of the most rewarding projects of her artistic career.