Polina Kuznetsova
Kharkiv, Ukraine
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Polina Kuznetsova is a Ukrainian painter, performer, theater decorator and set designer. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, she was forced to evacuate to Estonia. However, after spending six months there, she courageously returned to her homeland.
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Polina graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. Her artistic style is best described as magical realism. Through her paintings, Polina immerses viewers into a dream realm that transcends time and reality. “Sometimes I dream of creating the space of a dream… I quite rarely have dreams, but I often see reality as a dream,” Polina says. Her aesthetic is a unique combination of volume and decorative elements.
Polina’s art is heavily influenced by the events unfolding in her homeland. Her 2020 project named “Dreams” was dedicated to presidential elections in Ukraine. Since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, her art has become a powerful tool of sublimation, mirroring her response to the war. Over the recent years, Polina has broadened her artistic horizons and has delved into media art and performance which allow her to quickly respond to ongoing events.
Polina’s artwork has been showcased at various group exhibitions, art fairs, and auctions around the world, including “The 1st Ukrainian Auction” in Cromwell Place, London, Affordable Art Fair in Stockholm, Art Vilnius, and the Context Miami Art Fair. Last year her solo exhibitions took place in Tallinn, London, and Kyiv.
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Artist’s Statement
For me, art has become a way of life, a way of thinking through things that surround me. I see life itself as a true masterpiece. It inspires me and sometimes makes me feel that death isn’t so frightening – those are the moments when I was able to create a cohesive, meaningful composition.
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. All my works are small pieces, but they are always a representation of something that I truly wish to express. And I always want to do more. Art allows me to create a world where I can hide from reality. However, I’ve never been interested in art that doesn’t respond to the world around us. Sometimes, I feel like a membrane that reacts to the vibrating environment, a device that transmits, processes, reflects, and transforms information into imagery. Some of these vibrations are explosions. Sometimes, I feel like a scout who ventures out beyond the edges of reality to collect bizarre and rare artifacts to bring them into my world. I am a Ukrainian artist, but above all, I am an artist from Kharkiv.
Exhibitions
2025
– Jackson Art Price Finalists, Bankside Gallery, London, UK
– Series or illustrations for “Dr. Leonardo’s Journey to Sloboda Switzerland with His Future Lover, the Beautiful Alcesta” book by By Maik Yohansen, Osnovy Publishing (Sep. 2025)
2024
– Fresh Art Cheltenham Art Fair, Lysenko Gallery, Cheltenham, UK
– War: Inverse Perspective, Kyiv, Ukraine
– Volta Art Fair, New York, Ukrainian Polivion, USA
– Merging with the Garden Group Exhibition, Rukh Art Hub & Mriya Gallery, Tribeca, New York, USA
– The Time Capsule – A Golden Record Group Exhibition, Rukh Art Hub & Mriya Gallery, Tribeca, New York, USA
– Shero Group Exhibition, Rukh Art Hub & Mriya Gallery, Tribeca, New York, USA
2023
– Diamond Jam Group Exhibition, The 1st Ukrainian Gallery US, Soho, New York, USA
– Solo Exhibition, Scary Tale, Triptych Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
– Collective Exhibition, “Ukrainian Art Collection”, Buckhead Art & Company, Atlanta, GA, USA
– The First Ukrainian Art Auction in London, Cromwell Place, London, UK 2023 – Collective Exhibition, “The Muses Are Not Silent”, Ukrainian House, Copenhagen, Denmark
– Collective Exhibition, “Hardened: The Ukrainian Phenomenon”, Europa-Centre, Berlin, Germany 2023 – Collective Exhibition, “Sonya Gallery Project,” Sonya Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
– Collective Exhibition, “Path of Resistance,” Helms Design Centre, Los Angeles, USA
– Art Vilnius Art Fair, Peledu Kalno Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
2022
– Solo Exhibition, “Times,” National Kyiv Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
– Collective Exhibition, “Sonya Gallery Project,” Sonya Gallery, New York, USA
– Collective Exhibition, “Reconciliation with the Living,” HQ UNESCO, Paris, France
– Collective Exhibition, “I Pidiymaysia” Dedicated to the 300th Anniversary of Hryhoriy Skovoroda, Lavra Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine
– Solo Exhibition, “Times,” Truus Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
– Solo Exhibition, “Times,” Boo’s Closet Gallery, London, England
– Collective Exhibition, “Art of Ukraine,” Four Seasons Hotel Denver, USA
– Solo Exhibition, “Times,” Center for Contemporary Art, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
– Collective Exhibition, “The Muses Are Not Silent,” Lviv, Ukraine
2021
– Solo Exhibition, “Dreams,” Promodo Hub, Kharkiv, Ukraine
2020
– Solo Exhibition, “Dreams,” Art Center Chocolate House, Kyiv, Ukraine
2019
– Solo Exhibition, “Bio Easter,” Art Center Chocolate House, Kyiv, Ukraine
– Solo Exhibition, “Clay,” Nurnberg House, Kharkiv, Ukraine
– Collective Exhibition, “On the Ground,” Gallery “AS,” Kharkiv, Ukraine 2019 – Collective Exhibition, “Emoveo,” Gallery 83, Kyiv, Ukraine
2016
– Collective Exhibition, “Looking West,” Manila, Philippines
2014
– Collective Exhibition, “Painters of the Repin School,” Qingdao, China 2013 – Collective Exhibition, “Art Beijing,” China
2013
– Collective Exhibition, “Art Canton,” China 2013 – Shenzhen Art Fair, China