Biography
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
Multi- Award Winning Artist
Artist Anna Filimonova has made quite an impact on
the NZ art scene since 2017. The originality,
thematic, and emotional content of her paintings have
struck both judges and the public alike. From 2017 to
2019 she has won four 1st places in competitions, and
well as
7 other awards. She has sold out at the NZ Art Show
and held her first solo exhibition. And this is just
the beginning of her career.
Above is Weighing
the Expanse which won 1st place in the Surreal
category at the 2019 Royal Easter Show Auckland.
NZ Art Show 2018 - Sold Out!
"Different" was the one word that buyers used most to
describe Anna's work at the 2018 NZ Art Show. In June
2018 at Wellington's TSB Arena, Anna was one of only
three artists to completely sell their entire stock of
paintings.
Buyers were struck by her originality and imagination.
She sold 10 large and 2 smaller paintings over the
course of the show. Her fellow artists were extremely
supportive of the young artist, applauding her as she
sold the last painting. She made some wonderful new
friends and spoke to hundreds of people about her art.
Read the Press Release
Premier Award Winner - Hibiscus & Bays Art Awards 2017
Anna's "Gallery I - Oscillation with Observer" won
the $3000 Premier Award at the Hibiscus & Bays
Art Awards 2017. Against a high quality field of
entries Judge Antoinette Godkin of the Antoinette
Godkin Gallery said this painting "immediately stood
out" among the finalists for this prestigious
competition.
Click here to view
Gallery I.
Royal Easter Show 2017 - Category Winner
Anna's painting "Suspended Oscillation" won 1st Place in the 2017 Easter Show - Category: New Artist. Here she is in front of the winning painting with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff. She also won a Merit Award in this category with "Absence and Presence" . This was an exceptional result for her first time entering into a major competition. Learn more ...
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 serious artist immedialty gaining awards and recognition for her vision and creativity. During 2017 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; and the Peoples Choice Award at the 2017 Kumeu Art Awards. 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. In June at the 2018 NZ Art Show held in Wellington, Anna works were 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 by the Art Lounge NZ and Wanaka Fine Arts. Since then she has continued to exhibit her works in galleries and selected shows in New Zealand as a professional artist.