top of page
Oleksandra Kulikovska
I'm Olexandra Kulikovska (she/her) from Odesa, Ukraine. I'm 20 year old and I'm a queer collage and mixed media artist . Now I am forced to emigrate to Dresden (Germany) with my future wife, my transgender father and my queer sister, because of war. I get the acquaintance with the technique of collage in early 2020 and I'm continued studying and exploring this technique with the mentorship of other masters. During 2020-2021, were created more than 250 art pieces.
Artist: Oleksandra Kulikovska
Based in Dresden, Germany
Instagram:
littlecoolart
Culturally Arts Collective features:
"Broken Mirrors", June 10 - July 22 2022, Milostka Center for Exhibitions
What do you aim to say by the themes in your art?
I`m 20 year old queer artist from Ukraine. Now I am forced to emigrate to Dresden with my future wife, my transgender father and my queer sister, because of war.
The main topics that I actively explore in art are fear, violence, war, suicide, mental disorders. All of them relate directly to my life and are related to my personal experience or the experience of my family, friends.
It is important for me to talk about these topics, because:
- This is an opportunity to ask important and difficult questions through my works, help people see reality and let them believe that reality can be changed and transformed.
- It's a way of showing people they're not alone in their experiences.
Where does your inspiration come from?
For me, inspiration is about attentiveness to life. Therefore, to feel it - I just need to pay attention to what is happening around and notice what causes emotions in me.
Now, after the forced emigration to Germany, I already have plans for the next series of collages on topics that are most relevant and exciting for me now. For example: losses, survivor's guilt, feelings from life in emigration, war.
Do you have experiences that impacted your art?
Since in art I work mainly on socially acute topics, it is very influenced not only by personal experience, but also by the way I feel about political events.
Among the main:
- War in Ukraine since 2014
- Awareness of myself as an LGBT person (this radically changed my outlook and sense of safety in society).
- Protests in Kyiv and Odessa 2014-2015
- Trips to residences in Bakhmut and Starobelsk,
- Protests in Belarus, Russia, USA in 2020-
The personal experiences and experiences of my friends also greatly influence my art. For example, a series of collages on canvases about sexual violence began to be created in 2021 based on the stories of my relatives and friends.
Do you feel your art challenges existing barriers?
Yes, I think so. Because the themes that I explore are not easy for many viewers and can seem defiant. I also think so, because in the post-Soviet space, where I grew up and lived, these topics are very taboo and stigmatized.
In addition, as an LGBT woman and a refugee at the same time - I am part of an unprotected and oppressed social group. And the fact that I create art on these topics is my personal challenge to the system.
What are your long-term artistic goals?
I adore working in mixed media and plan to learn a lot in the future.
For me there are 2 directions of development: digital (3D, Motion Art, VR), and an analogue (installations, objects, volumetric work on canvases or wooden panels).
What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
- Practice every day. Try a lot and test your ideas.
- Go to the psychotherapist. Do not romanticize your mental problems or illnesses.
bottom of page