Biography
Philosophy
Award winning Ukrainian/Kiwi artist Anna Filimonova seeks
to communicate her distinct outsider interpretation of the
world, painting visions of the real and unreal for us. She
perceives the world both as it is, with a particular love of
the New Zealand landscape, and as it might be: colourful
surreal worlds, shapes, and abstract images. Her
interweaving of natural and fantastical imagery seeks to
challenge us and to tell stories about ourselves and our
environment. Anna offers insight into how we understand and
perceive our reality, looking through the doors and windows
of our preconceptions. One narrative she particularly
illustrates is how natural scenes become views; emphasising
the conceit within our attempt to possess what we see.
Read the NZ Artist Magazine feature on Anna
Early life
Anna was born in the Ukrainian town of Uzhgorod , which sits adjacent to Slovakia. Anna was drawing before she could walk, and surprising adults with her skill. At 15 she entered the College of Adalbert Erdeli, a high school specialising in art education, and where she developed much of her technical skill.
New Zealand
At 18 years old she left school, married and moved to
Auckland, New Zealand. The following year her daughter Polina
was born. From 2013 she enrolled part-time in Massey
University where she has studied Psychology. Anna still
created art but her focus was on her family and her studies.
By 2016 Anna believed she had gained enough life experience
and maturity to have something meaningful to express publicly
in her art. From late 2016 she began to exhibit and work as a
professional artist. Her first solo show was held in April
2018 at The Art Lounge New Zealand.
2017
In 2017 she has had the following achievements. She won the
Premier Award at the Hibiscus & Bays Art Awards; 1st Place
as well as a Merit Award in the New Artist Category at the
2017 Royal Easter Show Auckland; the Peoples Choice Award at
the 2017 Kumeu Art Awards; and the Merit Award (Professional)
at the 24th Great Summer Art Exhibition. In addition, four of
her other paintings made competition finals.
2018
During 2018 Anna won the Edinburgh Award at the Edinburgh Realty Premier Art Awards (Dunedin), and the Peoples Choice Award at the 2018 MRI National Youth Art Awards. She was awarded 1st Place in the Acrylic Category at the Franklin Arts Festival, as well as winning a Merit Award (Abstract) at the Royal Easter Show (Auckland). She was selected as a finalist in the 2018 Peters Doig Marlborough Art Awards, the Craigs Aspiring Art Prize 2018, the Impressions National Art Awards 2018, the ILT Art Awards 2018, as well as the Kumeu Art Awards 2018. In June at the 2018 NZ Art Show held in Wellington, Anna work was in such demand that she sold out of the entire stock of 12 paintings she had brought to the show. By the end of 2018 Anna was represented the Art Lounge NZ in Tauranga and Wanaka Fine Arts.