Trasformazione, num 1 Painting

From a young age, Yana found solace and expression in art. She painted in the quiet sanctuary of her city library, where each stroke of her brush echoed the deep connections to her land and its complex history. Alongside her artistic pursuits, Yana embraced the physical rigor of cross-country skiing, a sport that carved paths through the snow-laden forests of her homeland and taught her about resilience and precision—qualities that deeply infused her later artistic work. Her academic journey began in 2006 at the Institute of Law and Economics of Vologda, where she pursued psychology with a focus on the human psyche’s darker realms—violence and the unconscious. Yana delved into the emotional landscapes of young prisoners, an exploration that would profoundly influence her artistic narrative. She emerged from there not only with a degree but also with a lieutenant’s rank, armed with a deeper understanding of human vulnerabilities and strengths. The call of further exploration led Yana to Moscow in 2011, where she worked as a human resources manager while continuing her academic pursuits in linguistics at the RUDN University. That period was marked by an unquenchable thirst to understand the human condition from multiple cultural perspectives. In 2014, Yana’s journey took her to Thunder Bay, Canada, where she immersed herself in a culture vastly different from her own. Each new relationship and experience provided fresh textures to her understanding of human relationships, which she later wove into her artwork. Afterwards, Yana ventured into the heart of artistic academia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. There, over five transformative years, she honed her skills in painting, culminating in a cum laude degree that celebrated her thesis on the ontogenetic and phylogenetic evolution of human symbols. It was during these formative years that Yana fell in love with the art of engraving, particularly drypoint. The resistance of the metal and the transformative impact of the engraving needle resonated with her, symbolizing the indelible marks that life experiences etch upon us. Her engravings, intricate and evocative, became a canvas where she translated her psychological and emotional insights into visual forms. Yana’s creative journey has been adorned with accolades and exhibitions, from the special mention at the “Primo Concorso Grafica Studenti” to her triumphant exhibitions across Europe.