Moin! My name is Alexandra Kravchinskaya. This is, however, not the name by which others might remember me. “Sasha” should be more familiar, for that is the way both my colleagues and students call me and the name signed on the art pieces of mine.
look Portfolio.
Though currently based in Hamburg,
I come from a historical northern city Chernihiv, Ukraine.
After moving, if not like a nomad, then like a perpetually “searching” person, I’ve ended up in this multicultural city, which became both a refuge and a soil for the development of the current paintings.
After the big flight in 2022, I’ve spent 2 years working in a German gymnasium with students of integration classes. How is that relevant? It might have been the reason for my current interest in cultures and art traditions as well as an inspiration for some of the works; Prior to that, I spent 2 years studying psychology as well as teaching English and making entirely different art pieces that were a first step into the sphere and an unfortunate experiment.
Art style
For the most part, I paint what I feel or encounter. Due to the background of the people I’ve become acquainted with these last two years, I’ve managed to come across different struggles and mental experiences. Through my pieces, I try to both convey those and encourage the person to feel seen in their feelings.
Some paintings, are mainly inspired by Japanese flora and tradition, which was a big interest of mine before and should remain such.
All art pieces are performed with oil and pastels.
Fleeing Ukraine
It would be abhorrent to be defined just by an experience of war, but it was partly a moving factor in my current interest and style. After encountering something horrid, there arose a need to paint what I conceptually was interested in, but rather something of pure and genuine appeal.
Work in Germany
IVK, or “Internationale Vorbereitungsklasse”, which is an international class for refugees and immigrants, was a place that gave me an inspirational source for some of the paintings and also could have been the reason for why my art development froze for some time, with all of the focus shifting entirely to another sphere of interest.
