Swan emergency residency artist – Ana Soloda

Since the beginning of November, Ana Soloda has been staying in our artist residency. Ana is a Ukraine-born artist and curator. She is the first artist to stay with us for a three month period, as part of our emergency residency host arrangement with Swan (Swedish artist residency network) in collaboration with Artists at Risk. Here you can read Ana’s own description of her journey to becoming an artist:

 

My interest in art was developed rather early. Actually, I began drawing when I was eight. It appeared to be an interest for all my life.

Though, after having graduated from art school, I entered at the Kharkiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture and reached the master’s degree. Now, my experience in the field of architecture and urban construction is more than 8 years. But I always continue to be passionate about art, which inspires me to create new projects and bring all my ideas into life. As well as I especially admire being an organiser and participant in the various art exhibitions and charity auctions not only in Ukraine but also in Poland, England.

 

Moreover, I am always engaged in self-education and improvement of my skills in the fine arts by taking additional courses and working with different mentors,  gaining new techniques, and, at least, the inspiration. This allows me to have my own journey as a teacher for other young people and help them to achieve their goals in becoming an artist. 

Thereby, I’ve created an art school for young students in Ukraine, and later, due to the outbreak of a full-scale war there, I continued my activities as an art teacher in Bristol, England. Meanwhile, I’m trying never to stop keeping in touch with my students from Ukraine and work with them online.

Finally, my main goal is to unite and support people from all over the world through art.

 

Swan Emergency Residency is in collaboration with Artists at Risk and financed by Postkodstiftelsen, Svenska Institutet, Kulturrådet and IASPIS.