Biography 

I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in November 1974. My earliest memories are of a quiet village near pine forests, living with my grandmother — a place that still echoes in my work. Later, my family moved to Kyiv. I began studying art at a children’s art school, where I discovered a deep love for sculpture and painting. Two of my early pieces were selected for a student exhibition in France.

Life took me far from art for many years. I worked from a young age to support my family and faced profound personal losses, including domestic abuse and the death of my son — experiences that continue to shape my inner world and creative voice.

In 2014, as war first touched Ukraine, I returned to painting. Art became the only way to carry the weight I could no longer hold in silence. After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, I relocated to Karlovac, Croatia, with my children. Here I found safety, stability, and a renewed commitment to my practice. I joined the local artists’ union (ULAK) and began exhibiting again.