Ordinary Objects Become Extraordinary in Julia Tova Malakoff's New Mixed-Media Exhibition

Submitted by Reston Art Gallery

"Poetic Frenzy"

"The Poetry of Everyday Things" opens August 1 at Reston Art Gallery and Studios, featuring layered collages inspired by the overlooked beauty of everyday life.

Mixed-media artist Julia Tova Malakoff invites viewers to see the familiar through fresh eyes in The Poetry of Everyday Things, a solo exhibition on view at Reston Art Gallery and Studios from August 1 through August 29, 2026. The exhibition features vibrant mixed-media collages inspired by the familiar objects that shape everyday life.

Working with hand-painted and upcycled papers, cardboard, ink, pastel, and expressive mark-making techniques, Malakoff builds each composition through a process of cutting, arranging, and layering. The resulting works balance abstraction with recognizable forms, encouraging viewers to slow down and discover new meaning in objects they might otherwise overlook.

"You don't have to travel far to find little pockets of joy,” said Malakoff. “Spaces of domesticity aren't merely spaces of reserve and confinement. They are instead opportunities for capturing candid moments, for putting the life back in still life."

The Poetry of Everyday Things marks Malakoff’s sixth solo exhibition at Reston Art Gallery and Studios, reflecting her longstanding relationship with the gallery and its patrons. A public reception with the artist will be held on Sunday, August 9, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

About the artist

Julia Tova Malakoff is a mixed-media artist based in Reston, Virginia, whose signature style blends bold acrylics with organic, hand-painted papers and colored tissue, a technique inspired in part by Henri Matisse. Balancing neutral tones with richly saturated color, her work elevates ordinary, fleeting moments into elegant visual vignettes. Her work has been featured in regional exhibitions, including the Jo Ann Rose Gallery and the Reston Art Gallery, establishing her as a distinctive voice in Northern Virginia’s arts community. Learn more at JuliaMalakoff.com/