CV

Artist and cultural figure.

Graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Bachelor of Arts History) and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Bachelor of Psychology). She is a member of the Food of War International Community. In 2015, she was a project facilitator at Marina Abramovic — In Residence (Kaldor Public Art Project, Sydney, Australia). She is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine and the Con Artist Residence (2018–2019, New York, USA).

ZINAIDA's artistry is a multifaceted universe encompassing painting, graphic arts, décor, film, and video installations. Decorative and applied arts have become a particular wellspring of inspiration for the artist. Captivated by the profound symbols and meanings woven into ornamental patterns, she strives to reinterpret these images, breathing new life into them within contemporary art. The majority of her works focus on exploring ritualistic experiences, where she masterfully interweaves archaic traditions with modern media, creating a unique dialogue between past and present.

The artist grew up in the cultural space of Kyiv and that fact contributed to the emergence of a special interest to learn about the life and ascetic experience of rural residents in different parts of Ukraine. In addition, the main momentous events in the country, including the war, are reflected in the works by the artist.

… Zinaida is a rebel. She was in many dangerous zones, (on Maidan during the Revolution of Dignity, Chornobyl, in the war zone in the Eastern Ukraine) …To me she is like a Ukrainian "Guerilla Girl". — Marina Abramović, artist

Video installation Transformation is ZINAIDA's landmark work, which received a large number of feedbacks from viewers and art experts, presented at the First Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art ARSENALE 2012 as well as the work Without Women presented at the 59th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2022.

The artist's main projects: solo exhibitions 4.5.0 at White Box Gallery (2018, New York, USA) and Mute at the center for the contemporary art PinchukArtCentre (2015, Kyiv, Ukraine), Black Bride work at the 56th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia (2015, Venice, Italy) and Dakini at the 58th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia (2019, Venice, Italy). She was a curator and participant of the Clouded Lands International Exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in the Art Arsenal National Cultural, Art and Museum Complex (Kyiv, Ukraine, 2016). Participant of the Contemporary Art Fair Art Lima with the work Borsch (2018, Lima, Peru) and the work Golden Oil at the INSECT FLESH exhibition (Mexico City, Mexico, 2018) together with the international group of artists Food of War.

She was a curator and the participant of the Dark Paradise International Online Exhibition focused on the life of Chornobyl Polissia with the support of the State Scientific Center for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from Technogenic Catastrophes and the Ukrainian House National Center (2021, Kyiv, Ukraine).

She took part in the Art Kyiv Contemporary, International Forum of Contemporary Art with the works In&Out and Our Women. 7+2 (2010-2013, Kyiv, Ukraine), GOGOLFEST Interdisciplinary Festival (Kyiv, Ukraine), etc. The works of ZINAIDA are in private collections in Ukraine, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Italy and the USA, as well as in the public collections of Fundación Caja de Burgos (Burgos, Spain) and in the S.P. Korolyov Museum of Astronautics (Zhytomyr, Ukraine) with Cosmic Egg installation. The artist's installations are exhibited in the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity (White Tears), Kyiv Modern Ballet Academic Theater (The Wall), Actor Theater (felted woman from More Project).

In 2017, based on the experience of personal art practices, ZINAIDA founded the ARTREHUB Volunteer Initiative. It is based on the original Red Thread Technique, which was initially developed for children with autism spectrum disorders. The technique is based on the use of symbols of Ukrainian culture in combination with the practices of folk crafts and personal artistic experience. This charitable activity by the artist was adapted for cooperation with centers of medical and psychological rehabilitation of military personnel. Therefore, art and rehabilitation classes of Artrehub have focused on psychological assistance for people who are in complicated circumstances, which worsened against the background of the war.

ZINAIDA initiated many artistic expeditions to distant parts of Ukraine, she collects, processes and archives the cultural heritage items from different regions of Ukraine. For the past 6 years, the artist has been providing charitable support to residents of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. She carries out permanent volunteer activities for the development of the cultural domain, supports state and private museums, children's and art festivals, classical music concerts, publishing the books about Ukrainian artists.