Born in a small town in Ukraine, realist artist Kate Stavniichuk had to overcome many obstacles. She discovered an interest and natural ability to create art at a young age but lacked the resources for formal lessons and art supplies. Starting as a self-taught artist, she honed and developed her skills to the point where her works started to gain international acclaim and demand from art collectors around the world. At the age of 12, Kate began showing in galleries and participating in international contests, winning numerous awards and prizes. In this article, we interview Kate.
yawA:
Kate, thank you so much for speaking with us today. Can you start by telling us a little bit about your journey and what inspired you to become an artist?
Kate Stavniichuk:
"I have been passionate about art for as long as I remember myself. I know that a lot of artists start at a very young age, but for me, it has always been more than something I enjoy to do, I have always felt like I have the whole world inside of me, that I would like to share with people. It hasn’t been an easy journey for me, but I have always been fighting for my art like I have nothing to lose. "
yawA:
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Kate Stavniichuk:
"I am truly proud of my Solo Exhibitions. The first one “Wild Passion” was back in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2015 and the second one “Woman” was in NYC, in the USA in 2016. I created to art collections dedicated to women’s beauty, spirituality and power. “Wild Passion” was a series of sensual oil paintings of savage beasts and feminine characters inhabiting the world of seduction, mystery, and desire. Woman” was the next chapter of the first collection. This charcoal series was inspired by the power of beauty and mystery of every woman that forwards magnificence and inscrutability in this world. ."
yawA:
Who or what inspires you and why?
Kate Stavniichuk:
"Inspiration is a trick thing, that comes and goes, or can surprise you out of nowhere and you can’t explain it. Sometimes it comes from within your soul. I think I get inspired the most of all the layers and shadows that are created inside of me from from different things I have been though in my life. Love, pain, happiness or tragedy influenced my art and my vision. No matter what I experience, it develops into some feeling or emotion that I express on a canvas or a piece of paper."