My Mother’s Influence on My Creative Path (Part 2)

Art has always been part of my life thanks to my mom. She studied at the University of Art in Moscow in the early '80s, and even years later, her creativity stayed present in everything we did at home.

She taught me how to draw, how to notice the little details, and most of all- how to enjoy the process. At school, arts and crafts were always my favorite activities. I gravitated toward any project that let me draw, build, or imagine something new- it was clear early on that creativity was my language.

Gems From The Past (Art)

Here are some of my mother's first paintings from the 80s and 90s that have been kept over the years. Each one holds a memory and a glimpse into the artistic world I was lucky to grow up in.

Painted in Oil by Lana Repina.

Fashion sketches from the '80s.

Drawings made before I was born.

Sketches of a self-portrait, me as a child, and my great-grandfather. ('80s and '90s)

And these are a few of my early artworks, painted in gouache when I was about six years old, which my mom has carefully kept over time.

A recreation of Girls in the Garden by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which I painted during my school art class as a teenager in Sweden.

Painted in Oil

One of my school projects where I experimented with sculpting.

Another experiment: a carved glass piece inspired by my favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. I created my own version of the enchanted rose when I was just a child.

Drawings and sketches featuring a self-portrait, by me.

Looking at these early works from both my mom and me, I can clearly see the creative spark we share. It’s comforting to remember our beginnings and how art has been a big part of our lives.