Sasha Shalmina, submitted artwork
Sasha Shalmina
Painting
Glasgow, Scotland
Sasha Shalmina is a multidisciplinary artist, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her recent body of abstract work centers on depicting the landscapes of the subconscious mind - inner thoughts, dreams, feelings and other dimensions of the human experience. During her childhood Sasha fell in love with drawing portraits, as she found the human form to be endlessly inspiring and captivating. She went on to study BSc Hons Architecture at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. Her architectural education gave her the foundation to push her creative skills much further, into the realm of graphic design, digital art, moving image and animation. In 2016, she fell in love with abstract art through the paintings of her father, architect and artist Ivan Shalmin. As a result of this cathartic experience she was able to break free from the confines of scale and proportion, to let go of the external and to embrace the world within, ultimately allowing her to connect more deeply to her true self. In 2021, her animated paintings - a collaboration with her father - were exhibited at the Saatchi gallery in London, followed by further shows in Amsterdam and the Louvre, Paris in 2022. Following her father’s unexpected passing, Sasha decided to give up her career in design to fully pursue her dream of becoming a fine artist. She continues to experiment with different media and constantly explores new ideas, styles, and techniques.
Works
Sasha Shalmina, submitted artwork
Representational art, like a piece of music with lyrics, can arguably have only a finite amount of meaning and interpretation. Abstract art, on the other hand, is like music without lyrics; you can find something different within it every time you look. It has the ability to morph and change with the viewer, depending on their state of mind. My challenge is to paint the unseen. I aim to capture feelings, moods, atmospheres, thoughts, and ideas. The starting point of any painting is always a strong emotion. It can come from anything—a dream, a memory, a piece of music, or a realisation that comes after meditation. I let the experience consume me and propel me to paint. At first, I work intuitively, allowing the painting to emerge from my subconscious. Once the emotion has passed, I return to the canvas with my rational mind, to refine it. Working digitally gives me more control and opens up more possibilities, however this medium also brings a set of new challenges. The colour calibration and printing process are highly technical skills that I have found deeply rewarding to learn. I aim to push the boundaries of the digital canvas and the printing process.
