Interview

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“Throughout my life, I’ve always been exposed to different cultures, foods, and communities. My perfect day is a conversation with 5 people from different spots in the world. I have Ukrainian roots, but was lucky to study in England, where I was exposed to the incredible art and design scene found there. That is where my passion began.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“I’m a naïve futurist who dreams about achieving a world of balance and serenity by changing the systems we live in through design. When approaching a project, I rely on sources across all art and non-art categories. I find that this allows me to have a wider palette of research for both my design and 3D design works.
I love focusing on socio-environmental aspects of our life systems, asking myself how my role in a project can be relevant to the mindset of many? If it’s not relevant, then I explore what my mindset will be.
In a recent project, I used cooking as a methodology in design practice and created a fashion cookbook. This cookbook is a proposal of how our healthier future might look like in 30 years, where systems such as fashion, food, and ego are redefined to perform circularity, transparency, and accessibility.
The cookbook showcases: a collection of multi-functional fashion objects created in my home kitchen, recipes for all objects created, a series of interviews with the industry’s forward-thinkers, and a proposal for our future lifestyle on this planet. All objects are made from healthy alternatives of existing materials such as glass and plastic. Objects are biodegradable, and some materials are regenerative.”

Which current art world trends are you following?

“As an ecology geek, I love artistic directions with a mix of science in them. There are so many exciting and breathtaking techniques, and I managed to successfully develop one of them. I use a self-generated formula with food waste and bacteria to create a sustainable glass, which I use for my creations. Glass is a non-renewable material, and its manufacturing and waste affects our earth in a negative way in industries such as art and fashion.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“I use a mixture of both, but mostly, it depends on the goal of the piece and who it’s for. I trust my intuition, especially when working on something abstract. If there is science involved in my art, there has to be surgical precision and detailed calculations. But nature and science are beautiful things. If you let science improvise, react, or develop in its own time on your artwork, it creates unique results.”

“Today, any designer or artist should not only focus on self expression, but also try to include current world challenges or movements that affect our communities on a daily basis.
Innovation thrives in collaboration and collectiveness.”

What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?

“I dedicate a good amount of my life collecting random objects that catch my eye wherever I go. Upcycling and re-purposing is a big part of my artistic process as well.
One of my previous collections, Colonist (shown below), was constructed from found materials such as: 120m of domestic pipes, plastic bags, inflatable mattresses, Soviet gas masks, fabric deadstock from factories, plants, water, Barbie dolls, and electronic devices. For example, for a puffer jacket and vest, I took a found inflatable mattress and cut out pattern pieces for further construction. For accessories, I used vacuum pressure techniques on plastic bags to trap objects inside.
This collection was exhibited in New York.”

What does your art mean to you?

“My work is how I talk to the world. I believe I can influence, and potentially shift it, through the creative energy I bring forth.”

What is your favorite artwork and why?

“System 51: Fashion Cookbook + Objects, which can be seen below, is my favorite artwork. I absolutely loved working on this project because it was very collaborative and I learned so much. I worked with a talented graphic designer, Amery Johnston (Thought & Found), and interviewed Abrima Erwiah, who is a co-founder and director of Studio One Eighty Nine, and a founder of Fashion our Future. We had an in-depth conversation about systems in fashion production, farming, food, and community.
System 51 was exhibited in New York, along with fashion objects made from biodegradable materials.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“Both Colonist and System 51 projects were exhibited at Dordor Gallery in New York. The exhibitions were followed by an after party, auction, and merchandize sale.”