Ekaterina Ivanova is a Bay Area artist who studied at Las Positas College. She shares that she “love[s] not only painting, but also studying history, traditions and folklore of different cultures. Ancient Slavic traditions are especially close to me because this is the history of my ancestors. I was born in Russia, but I also have family ties with Ukraine, Belarus and Poland.”

Ivanova discusses the piece, Kupala Night, below:

Kupala Night is one of the major folk holidays in some of the Slavic countries. It was revered as the day of the summer solstice and was originally celebrated on the shortest night of the year. The holiday involves rituals related to fire and water, symbolizing purification, fertility, and love. One of the many rituals and activities of this day is depicted in my art work. During the day, young women collect flowers and herbs, weave wreaths, and at night they bath in lakes or rivers and placing their wreaths in the water. There was such a sign that if the wreath floats far away, the young woman will soon get married, but if it remains on the shore, then no.

Kupala Night was acquired in 2025 by the Art on Campus Task Force as part of an ongoing effort to grow the LPC art collection, with a focus on local Bay area artists and LPC student artists. Learn more at www.laspositascollege.edu/artoncampus.