Eight squares clothed in multiple layers of organic pieces of paper covered in wax and color sit constrained behind sparkling glass frames in the newest art exhibit in the lobby of the Administration building at SF State.

“Inspiration for this series is birth and fertility,” explained Bohdanna Kesala, the artist. “What’s been a really predominate aspect of my life for the last 3-and-a-half years is babies.”

With the encouragement of a previous professor, Kesala decided to further her art and begin exhibiting her photographs at various galleries in Chicago after she graduated from Indiana University in 1993.

After living in a small apartment, Kesala moved to San Francisco where she was able to rent a studio in SoMA, so she’s able to focus on creating the large canvas art she enjoys.

She did a brief stint at the California College of the Arts before attending SF State for her Master’s of Fine Arts in 2004.

“I was always doing art. The way I dealt with anything was always through art,” said Kesala.

The Ukrainian artist has worked with many other mediums including quilting, photography, and oil and wax paintings. For “Paper Thin,” Kesala used an X-acto knife to cut the paper, cold wax to create the curves, and gouche, a high concentration watercolor, to add color.

While each piece of art displays vibrant colors, the theme of each piece varies. From “Heartbeat,” a charcoal-made piece with a pulsating red particle, the display then moves to “Leaf,” a simple leaf surrounded by intricately carved wax and white gouche.

Don’t ask Kesala what each one means—she was reluctant to even give the exhibit a title.

“It’s the way I express myself. But each piece of art can mean something different to each person. It’s about what it’s going to do for you,” said Kesala.

While many people enjoy putting an exact photo into paint on a canvas, Kesala emphasizes that her work flourished when she worked more abstractly.

“Mostly everything I do is abstract. I usually make things really big or really small. I like working from the shoulder with big canvases,” said Kesala.

Most of her art is either several feet in size or less than ten inches in size. She believes that she can get her point across with something either very big or something very small and intimate.

Kesala says she is overflowing with ideas constantly.

“I never have enough time to do what I want to do. My challenge is time as opposed to ideas or what to do. I’m always experimenting with different mediums,” she said.

The SF State graduate’s installation, "Paper Thin: News Works on Paper" is set to run from February 16 to May 31.