Pencil Sketches in the Kitchen: Garlic, Pear, Lemon, and Apple Drawing

My name is Olesia Miftahova. I am a full-time artist whose mediums are painting and poetry. Born in Ukraine, I currently live and work in Wales, UK. My visual practice evolved from my experience as a poet, transforming language into imagery while preserving its emotional and philosophical depth. In my work, I explore memory as a central theme - understanding it as roots, ancestral memory, and something that goes beyond the linear span of a human life. Through my art, I investigate ideas of belonging, kinship, and essence, reflecting on how these layers of memory shape who we are. Memory is such a complex and multidimensional concept that it has become the foundation of my artistic research. I work with a variety of materials, but currently I prioritize pastel, as it allows me to embody and convey meanings that go far beyond words, encouraging each viewer to feel their own hidden memories, joy, and sometimes the feeling of something familiar yet lost.