Anna Filimonova’s artistic career unexpectedly blasted off in 2017. In her first year as a professional artist, she won five awards and obtained gallery representation. This year she has been working hard preparing for her first solo exhibition in May.
When asked why she is an artist, Anna says “I paint to express myself. In each of my paintings I feel that a piece of my mind and heart flows into the scene. Every day I observe the world and then these experiences enter me and then emerge in my work.” In her ‘White Rooms’ series, each painting has various elements from her experience and imagination. “On a hot day in January I swam in peaceful Lake Pukaki. I loved the spot and got some great photos capturing the intense beauty and calmness of the lake. This moment just had to be captured in one of my paintings, so I put the photo in a room and contrasted the landscape with surreal imaginings and flying birds. I had such a feeling of freedom, and the notion that time stopped in this moment. “I believe that moments such as this create something worthwhile and beautiful for all of us. If I can capture the deepness of my emotions in the moment I think that others can recognise these feelings in themselves and understand what I am expressing.”
Anna Filimonova
