INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST | KSENIA SANDESKO

Hello Kseniya! Could you share a bit about yourself? Where are you from, and what has been your journey into the world of art?

It seems to me that I have always been in this world. In my childhood, I constantly drew, just like my mother, and dreamed of becoming an artist. And that’s how it turned out. I was born in Ukraine, attended an art school, and then enrolled in the Kharkiv Academy of Design and Arts. It was only after completing my studies that I began to think about what my art should be like.

Your work often blends figurative and abstract elements. What inspires you most when choosing your subject matter?

It turns out that in my earlier work (though it sounds strange to say, since it was only three years ago), there were many more abstract elements intertwined with bodies, forming a single whole. Now, I’ve noticed that the bodies are gradually becoming more self-sufficient, while the abstract background is becoming increasingly simplified. It’s interesting to observe this from the outside. The themes in my works often overlap; I’m mostly inspired by interesting poses, and then a composition is born around them.

How has your artistic vision evolved over the years, and what key experiences shaped your current style?

I think the main change has occurred in the depiction of human figures. During my studies in academy, we often exaggerated and simplified bodies, which was influenced by the specifics of the academic school. Now, however, the figures in my paintings have become more honest and realistic. I no longer play with proportions or distort details, as I want to capture everything in its original form.

Can you tell us more about your creative process? How do you move from concept to the final piece?

In the past, to start working on a painting, all I needed was a simple pencil sketch outlining the bodies, and I barely needed any live reference during the process. Now, first I need to understand what I want to depict and what the main emotion in the work should be. Then, I spend a long time developing the composition, searching for many references, taking photos, creating a collage on a tablet, and often editing it in a graphic editor (this is more relevant for paintings in negative). Only then do I transfer the sketch to the canvas.

What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away when they see your artwork?

For a long time, I didn’t quite understand what I wanted to express, and it even seemed to me that I was creating my works mechanically, with no real message behind them. I also didn’t feel a strong connection between my work and myself. But then I realized that, unconsciously, I had been conveying my inner experiences through my art, and it was a way to express my emotions through the images on the canvas. It’s no coincidence that the main figures in my paintings are people—naked, unprotected, vulnerable. Once, my psychologist suggested that I depict what my inner self would look like on a piece of paper. At that moment, I realized that I had been portraying it in my paintings for years. The people in them appear free, sensitive, merging into one. That is exactly what I was trying to convey—how important it is to know and feel oneself, how vital human connection is, and how essential a person’s inner life is.

How does your environment, whether it’s your city or the places you visit, influence your work?

I think this influence is minimal, as I rarely go out and I’m often lost in my own fantasies, which partially helps me in my art. My paintings seem to be in contrast with the real world; they are full of color, imagination, and freedom. Though, perhaps, this is where the influence of my environment is revealed.

What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on, and how did you overcome those challenges?

Sometimes small works can cause a lot of difficulties, while large-scale paintings come together quickly and easily. Often, I don’t know how the process will unfold, and I end up reworking a painting almost entirely, like changing the background halfway through or completely altering the color palette. So, it’s quite difficult for me to choose the most challenging project, as there are many.