Interviews

Andriy KAROEV is a Ukrainian performer who recites his own poetry accompanied by singing of Maryna Bohdanova as part of his solo project "KAROEV." Six months ago, the artist released an album titled "PLYN," which tells the story of an extraterrestrial being's journey to our planet. Additionally, Andriy is the bassist in the poetic band "Temna Materiya" (Dark Matter). In a conversation, Andriy shared his thoughts on creating his own works, establishing himself as a performer, and his musical journey during the war of Russia against Ukraine.

Maria Bohoslavets is a budding Ukrainian actress who is already making her mark on the stage of Nora Theater. Her debut role was in the play "One Minute Before" directed by Eleonora Kravchenko. Now, she is preparing for her next performance, "The Marriage of Figaro," where she will play the lead role. Maria shared with Drive Music Media about her journey of self-discovery, the opportunities that come after taking acting courses, her passion for voice dubbing, and her upcoming play.

Olena Osipova is a Ukrainian writer who creates personalized and custom stories for adults and children as part of her book brand "Own Story." She shared with Drive Music Media insights about the beginning of her writing journey, the difference between custom and personalized stories, the process of creating a book, and her upcoming projects.

Darya Nakvakina is a Ukrainian abstractionist who left photography for the sake of art. The world of cameras became too confining for the artist, and she realized that painting would allow her to transcend the boundaries of reality. An unplanned exhibition ended up occupying three museum halls, all within her first year of painting. The artist shared with Drive Music Media insights about the world she creates, her participation in the "Burning Man 2022" exhibition, and her future plans.

Oksana Merhut is a Ukrainian sand animation artist who continues to captivate not only Ukrainian art enthusiasts but also international audiences with her technique. Recently, the artist toured German cities with a magical program, raising funds to support the Ukrainian Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. Oksana shared her thoughts on the beginning of her artistic journey, her European tour, and teaching children and adults in her own sand animation studio with Drive Music Media.

Aya Neia is a Ukrainian indie fantasy author who aims to show through her books that one must always find strength within oneself, even when it seems all is lost. Her book series "Nord" continues to captivate readers with the boundless fantasy world that the author has dreamt of since childhood. Each book in the series was created over two years, and each reveals new aspects of the "Nord" world. Despite being engrossed in the fantasy realm, the author's pseudonym carries a mythological character and simultaneously helps to separate her personal life from her creative work. Aya Neya shared insights about the "Nord" series, the novella "Name of the Shadow," and her challenging journey as a writer.

Dana Bezkray is a Ukrainian who became a children's book writer when she felt a deficit of high-quality educational children's products abroad. Inspired by her own daughter, she began telling stories about her life in a fairy-tale format, addressing the exhaustion she felt during migration and her desire not to cause pain to her child because of it. This resulted in her book titled "Mom's Battery Ran Out." Danа also shared about her life in China, writing her first children's book, presenting her book during the war, and her collection "Garden of the Soul."

Roza-Svitlana Zadiraka is a Ukrainian artist specializing in art therapy and phototherapy, through which she helps people feel safe and awakens love for themselves. The main message of her art is support. When the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine began, Svitlana, after two months of "stupor," started to act actively, as she realized that she could help people with her art here and now. Svitlana owns a very atmospheric studio in Odesa, which she calls her place of strength, and conducts her sessions there. Recently, the artist has expanded her artistic horizons and started creating jewelry. Svitlana shared with Drive Music Media about all the creative directions of her life, her studio in Odesa, her education, and the war.

Kateryna Kochut is a Ukrainian jewelry designer for one of the largest Ukrainian jewelry companies, Kochut. The most important aspect of Kateryna's work is that the jewelry she creates resonates in people's hearts. The designer finds inspiration in mythological stories, fairy tales, and some jewelry designs even come to her in dreams. In an interview with Drive Music Media, Kateryna shared about the beginning of her collaboration with Kochut, the creation of jewelry, her own bestsellers that set trends for other Ukrainian jewelry companies, and the company's support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Sofiia Shakh is a young Ukrainian photographer who creates photo stories in her unique style and chooses only locations she feels connected to for her shoots. She has executed ideas that seemed impossible: shoots in airplane graveyards, forests, trains, and many other unconventional places. Currently, she continues her photography studies at university and aims to work at a major creative company. Sofiya shared her thoughts on choosing locations, creating props, developing her personal style, and her most memorable shoots with Drive Music Media.