BARKAS Productions began in 2012 when Ann Bartok and Olena Kassian joined their artistic practices to create site-specific sculptures. Their work is recognized for its distinctive forms, created through the use of wood fibre materials combined with recycled objects, metals, and industrial elements. Through this process, BARKAS developed a method of combining the foundational medium of papier-mâché with discarded materials, resulting in sculptural works that balance structure, texture, and material experimentation.

Ann Bartok was honoured to participate in the Molinos project in Medellín, Colombia, where the installation received a prestigious award. Her relief panels, installed on the building’s columns, assist visually impaired visitors in navigating the shopping mall. Bartok frequently collaborates with architectural designers, working from conceptual drawings through to final placement to produce sculptures, mobiles, and murals that respond to architectural environments. Her recent work focuses on steel sculptures, created in collaboration with fabricators and tailored to specific locations. A subtle sense of humour often appears in her work, inviting engagement from the public.

Olena Kassian studied Drawing and Painting at the Ontario College of Art and the University of Guelph. She began her career in book publishing, illustrating sixteen children’s books, before moving into advertising illustration for international clients including Nestlé, Del Monte, and Hong Kong Telephone. Kassian later stepped away from commercial illustration to focus on her studio practice, where she began exhibiting her mylar drawings in galleries. This body of work gradually developed into a broader exploration of abstraction and sculptural form.

BARKAS’s work continues to evolve, and their presentation at Gallery 1888 introduces a selection of modular sculptures and drawings. Through movement, colour, and adaptable forms, their work engages with the surrounding environment and activates the spaces in which it is installed.