Threads of the Past
Crystals, gold and silver threads and acrylic on glass · 2025
Made by a human
Anastasiya Kao certifies having made this artwork by hand, with no AI-generated imagery.
Every person carries invisible threads that connect the present to the past. They are woven from memories, experiences, love, loss, fear and hope. Some help us stay true to ourselves; others keep holding us in events that already belong to the past. Threads of the Past explores the moment when we become aware of these invisible ties. That is where inner transformation begins. The past cannot be changed, but we can change the way it shapes our present. The gold and silver threads stand for the path of a life. The transparent glass evokes the fragility of personal boundaries, and the crystals become the inner strength that grows through understanding and accepting what we have lived through. From the series Transparent Borders.
Anastasiya Kao is a conceptual artist working with glass, mirrors and crystals, exploring identity, emotional transformation and invisible psychological boundaries. Her ongoing series Transparent Borders is a visual manifesto against physical and emotional violence. Her work has received international recognition: two 1st prizes and a 2nd prize at Golden Time Talent, London (2024), 2nd prize at the Dalí's Moustache competition, Spain (2025), and an official selection at SwissArtExpo, Zurich (2025). In 2026, the Musée La Grande Vapeur in Oyonnax dedicated a solo exhibition to her work, welcoming 750 visitors in a single evening, a record for the museum. Committed to charitable causes, she creates works for La Chaîne de l'Espoir, the Association Petits Princes and Les Enfants de Frankie (Monaco). She lives and works in Oyonnax, France.
