ABOUT ME
I am a visual artist whose life (and art) changed dramatically in April of 2017 when I moved from the austere and industrial city of Novokuznetsk (Russia) to the beautiful Australia.
Art was part of my life from a very young age. I began attending an art studio when I was 11 years old where, in addition to the traditional art techniques, I was introduced to the less conventional art forms, creating works out of leather and other textiles. Unfortunately, early on I was not able to build up enough courage and self-belief to choose art as a career. Nonetheless, it was incredibly important for me to find a profession with a creative edge and my career path led me to the world of advertising. The whirlwind chaos and the fast pace of that world were challenging but it certainly enriched my experiences and widened my horizons. However, as a creative and intuitive person, I was craving freedom of expression and harmony.
Up to the age of 20, I continued to immerse myself in art, working mainly with textiles using the batik technique. Eventually, the stress of the corporate world got the better off me and I abandoned art completely. Six years went by and a serendipitous event led me to attend a master class in oil paint. I realised that this fated moment in my life was leading me back to my path in art. It felt like I was reconnecting with the world again and regaining my true self. It felt like I found my true love. I continued to work in advertising full-time, dedicating my entire weekends and nights to painting. My work began to sell at professional art fairs and I also started receiving portrait commissions.
With immigration looming, I was faced with a future of uncertainty. After arriving in Australia, I firmly decided that art will become a permanent and prominent part of my life. And yet I was still incessantly searching for my artistic voice. I worked with fluid acrylics and epoxy resin and also experimented with mandala art, watercolour pattern design, and portrait painting, using the dry-brush technique.
Eventually, I found my footing in the use of acrylic and oil paint, at times using mixed media in order to achieve the desired effect. My most recent work is focused on luscious still lifes, landscapes, and vibrant abstractions.
I favour thick impasto brush strokes and many of my works are executed with just the palette knife, which adds a lot of texture and depth to my paintings. My naïve, impressionistic and highly expressive style conveys authentic and pure emotion, my canvases are infused with vivid pastels adding richness and warmth to every one of my works. I often combine fruit, flowers, and sumptuous desserts in my still lifes as I find the juxtaposition of the floral and the edible joyous. My abstract works possess dynamism and movement but they are always balanced out by a harmonious palette, that will compliment any interior.
I have participated in a number of small, yet important exhibitions both in Russia and in Australia. The most recent exhibitions were The Women in Art at the Entrance Gallery, NSW in March of 2023 and The Summer Exhibition at the Artspace Pop-up Gallery, Entrance NSW in March of 2023. I also took part in three anonymous fundraising exhibitions called 20x20 at the Gosford Regional Gallery. I am currently studying Diploma of Visual Art in Sydney Art School.
I am forever inspired by the immense beauty of Australian nature. The sunrise and the sunset sky, the majestic ocean, the flora and fauna, and the vast landscapes of Australia cannot be more different from the nostalgic beauty of my homeland. But this new and wondrous world has truly captured my heart. The vibrancy of Australian wildlife is an endless source of energy and creative force and I try to infuse every single one of my canvasses with that energy.
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