Aniela Rybak-Vaganay
Author
Art historian living in Chicago. Passionate about women artists and abstract art.
Cover Yourself from the Rain—Umbrellas in Art
Fall can be one of the most beautiful and atmospheric seasons. Some of us wait all year long to stay at home, cozy up on the sofa, read, or have a...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 1 December 2025
Barnett Newman: Here by Amy Newman—Book Review
It is hard to believe, but Amy Newman’s new book, Barnett Newman: Here, is the first extensive biography of the artist (the matching last names are...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 13 November 2025
Faith Ringgold, Sunflowers, and Van Gogh
Faith Ringgold’s The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles is part of the artist’s series of mixed media works titled The French Collection, in which...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 8 October 2025
Suzanne Valadon and Her Self-Portraits
Suzanne Valadon, the French artist of the 19th century, was an absolute master of self-portraits. She fashioned her own look in so many different...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 23 September 2025
Joan Mitchell: An American in France
Who hasn’t dreamt of moving to Paris at some point in their life? The city where the Impressionists started their careers in the picturesque...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 11 September 2025
Gustave Caillebotte Painting His (Male) World at the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago is the last of three institutions to be hosting a major monographic exhibition of Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894). It...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 20 August 2025
Maria Pinińska-Bereś—The Artist Who Made Pink Feminist
When I think of Maria Pinińska-Bereś her name appears in my head in light-pink hand-written letters embroidered on a white duvet. It is of course...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 22 May 2025
Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures in Art History
Muse – Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History’s Masterpieces by Ruth Millington is a fascinating book that aims, and one could even...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 7 March 2025
Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica at the Art Institute of Chicago
The verb “to project” has a variety of meanings. It can allude to planning a project, presenting an idea, or promoting a concept. The exhibition...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 20 February 2025
Florian Yuriev—Colorful Portraits-Modus
Florian Yuriev (1929-2021) was a Ukrainian painter, architect, and visionary. His extraordinary, colorful paintings combine music, color, and linear...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 22 January 2025
