Anna Esthete: Art is an equally powerful weapon through which to spread truth, sustain spirit and bestow love

Anna Esthete is a Ukrainian artist which specializes in the reproduction of metaphorical images in the visual arts. In many of her paintings, the woman draws attention to Ukrainian identity, bringing people back to the times of grandmother's carpets and reminding them of the culture of different regions of Ukraine. During Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Anna actively participates in charity exhibitions and draws attention to important issues not only with the help of brushes, but also in the digital world. Read about the impressive resilience of Ukrainian artists during the war, her own paintings and art-weapon on Drive Music Media.

Interviewer: Usually, we choose the "beginning of the artist's creative path" as the first question, but after reviewing your portfolio, we would like to start with your series of paintings "Affirmations". Please tell us in more detail about this cycle: how the idea to create works with a similar metaphorical subtext came about, how long it took to work on it, and what was the reaction of society to such a topic?

Anna: My journey began with an inner understanding that I wanted to speak to people through my art, and it was possible to realize this only by creating something very close to me. As I love the topic of self-discovery, such a concept as "affirmations" interested me in its duality − its popularity was actively spreading at the time, but its effectiveness was in question. With my series of works, I wanted to highlight the reverse side of the coin of this phenomenon. Each of the subjects in the pictures is a confirmation that there are exceptions to the rules and the method of affirmations is far from suitable for everyone. Sometimes accepting yourself, your peculiarities and nature is a better solution than trying to fit in with the crowd or engage in self-deception. I created this series of 5 paintings over two years. I did not think through all the plots of the concept in advance, each idea was born when a new white canvas was waiting in front of me. It was very interesting to observe how the visitors of the exhibitions understand the message of the paintings in different ways, but at the same time accurately. I never ask the viewer to guess what I put in my art, because it is not created for that. It is enough to simply interact on a more subtle level, when the artist acts as a guide, and the art is a "window" for the viewer, looking into which he can see his true self.

Interviewer: You have a higher education in the field of design, but, anyway, you chose another path for yourself - to be an artist. At what point did you clearly decide to engage in painting?

Anna: I have been drawing all my life and have said since childhood that I dream of being an artist. There were many fears on the way, but after graduating from university, I still believed in myself and allowed myself to try.

Interviewer: The peculiarity of your works is the use of metaphor in the visual world. How did you choose this direction for yourself?

Anna: I like to use metaphors in communication, because they often help to explain complex things easily and quickly. And since I also conduct a dialogue with the viewer through the paintings, the use of clear, bright images-metaphors helps in understanding the deep themes that appear in the plots.

Interviewer: Without the past, there is no future. It is the same in any human activity - it would not have become what it is now, if it had not started from scratch. What was your first exhibition? Remember the time when you first presented your paintings to the public. What was it about and where did it take place?

Anna: Each exhibition is special for the artist. But the first one is the most exciting, like a sprout that has finally been planted and from which something very powerful and beautiful will soon grow. My debut was a collective open-air pop-up exhibition as part of the Art Street project, which featured three of my paintings from the Affirmations series along with the works of talented fellow artists. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to the organizer and curator of the project Ulyana, because she became the same "gardener" who believed in my art and, thus, believed in me as an artist.

Interviewer: You participated in the group exhibition "Support Ukraine" at the Lighthouse gallery in Puerto Rico. Tell us about this experience: what did you present, how did you get involved in this charity event?

Anna: I still remember how, in the first days of the war, I really wanted to reproduce my entire range of emotions with the help of paints, but all the artistic materials remained in the studio, to which there was no access. Luckily I had a tablet handy, so I started drawing. After 3 days, the animation was born, thanks to which I was invited to participate in the exhibition in Puerto Rico by its curator Lika Spivakovska. As part of the event, an auction was held for each of the presented digital works to raise funds for the victory of our country.

Interviewer: The "Carpets" series is a purely Ukrainian series of paintings. Earlier, all grandparents had carpets in their houses: on the wall, on the floor... And although carpets are a part of Ukrainian heritage, there are many things that present our national identity. Why did you decide to choose carpets for your nationally identical exhibition? In each picture, you depicted the image of an animal: tell us in more detail how you chose animals for different regions?

Anna: Things with a history have fascinated me for many years now − I collect vintage jewelry and decor items. When my studio appeared I really wanted to complement it with a vintage Ukrainian carpet, but I couldn't find "the same one". And then the idea came to transfer the pattern of the carpet to the canvas, and to make the future paintings as an allegory for one of the methods of using carpets − hanging them on the walls. Volumetric animals are the highlight of the series, each of which was selected because of my associative impressions with the region of origin of the carpets. For example, Hutsulshchyna appears a little foggy in the imagination, with lush green hills and mountains dotted with flocks of sheep. That is why the image of a sheep appears in paintings with Hutsul carpets.

Interviewer: As an artist, have you noticed a trend in the development of Ukrainian art during the war? To what extent is it possible to create new paintings in the conditions of constant rocket fire and current problems? Share your opinion.

Anna: Creative people are very sensitive on an emotional level, so such a terrible event as the war seemed to knock all the oxygen out of the lungs of many artists. Not to take a breath, not to pick up a brush. But art today is just as powerful a weapon through which you can spread the truth, support the spirit, call for struggle, give love and inspire life. Therefore, yes, the trend of development is strong and it is possible to create in conditions of war, because many Ukrainian artists use their weapons every day no matter what.

Interviewer: You recently moved to another country. You have already managed to achieve successful results in Ukraine − what will be your first steps abroad? What are the expectations from the new audience?

Anna: The most important thing for me right now is not to stop creating. I feel that my art will change and grow with me. All my paintings remained in Ukraine and with collectors, continuing their life in the Motherland. And something new will also be born in a new place. And I hope that it will find its connoisseurs here.

Photos by Olena Shalena