About Nadezhda (SWAc)
Nadezhda is a London-born artist of Ukrainian and Polish descent. She specialises in portraiture, creating works on canvas, paper or board, ranging from 160cm to 8cm, using acrylic or gouache paints and genuine gold or platinum leaf. She has had paintings accepted by the Royal West of England Academy, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts, and has had individual works shown in a variety of exhibitions.
In 2022 Nadezhda was elected as an Academician at the South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts.
In 2023 Nadezhda was selected as a member of the Artists Network of the Royal West of England Academy, which helps artists to develop their careers.
Her main areas of inspiration are male ballet dancers, music and birds. She accepts commissions as well as creating works for sale. Nadezhda is currently working on a series of paintings of male ballet dancers, with a mission to increase awareness of this often misunderstood profession, and the men who dedicate their lives to it.
At core, Nadezhda’s work is a celebration of beauty. Her work is marked by large areas of empty space, an uncluttered design, and a minimal colour palette. The result is a body of work which has a Zen-like quality of stillness and calm.
Nadezhda’s Professional Background in the Arts
Aged 17 at the Central School of Ballet
Nadezhda trained as a professional ballet dancer in London at The Central School of Ballet. However, her continuous desire to paint and draw, led her to choose a career in the visual arts instead. Firstly, she studied for a degree in Calligraphy and Bookbinding, specialising in manuscript books, gilding, and miniature painting.
A Second year project during her Calligraphy Degree
Nadezhda spent 15 years working as a calligrapher and designer. Following this, her artistic life took a dramatic turn when she encountered an intensely striking and powerful face. The impact was so great, it instantly unearthed an unknown desire to create a portrait, an art form she had never before considered.
The result was an imposing painting, ‘Il Catalizzatore’ . This was the first portrait to be created by Nadezhda, and she has been obsessively painting portraits ever since.
More Information about Nadezhda’s work
Read an editorial feature about Nadezhda and her work in Exeter Living Magazine, please click here
View the full range of original paintings for sale, please click here
To view the range of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints for sale, please click here