Daria Shugaieva is a Ukrainian artist now living in Miami, Florida. In this interview, Daria talks about how her love for art began in school when she made illustrations for her projects. She shares how studying artists like Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali has influenced her own work. After her boutique was destroyed during the invasion of Ukraine, Daria turned to painting to express her feelings of loss, patriotism, and hope. Through her art, she focuses on women’s emotions, inviting viewers to connect with their own experiences and find beauty in vulnerability. Daria’s story reminds us of how art can heal and inspire us, even in tough times.

Daria Shugaieva is a featured artist in our book “The Creative Process.” You can explore her journey and the stories of other artists by purchasing the book here: https://shop.artstoheartsproject.com/products/the-creative-process-book

Daria Shugaieva, Ukrainian artist based in Miami, Florida. Her journey as a painter began at school where she loved creating illustrations for school projects, posters and newspapers. She received Master of English Language and Literature. One of her favorite class was Art & Culture, where she discovered amazing worlds of Frida Kahlo, William Adolphe Bouguereau and Salvador Dali, who influenced her deeply. Despite she worked in other spheres, Daria decided to receive an education in Fashion design and illustration, which helped her open a small boutique under the name «Aphrodhth». In 2022 Daria’s life changed when Ukraine was invaded by russians, the warehouse with her apparel was destroyed. Being in Florida then Daria took oils and started to express all the feelings she had: grief, sorrow, patriotism love and hope to see her Motherland again. Through her art, Daria invites viewers to embrace beauty and complexity of human spirit. Her subjects are women mostly, who have amazing stories to be told, feelings to be understood.

1. Daria, what inspired you to start creating art in school, and do you have a favorite memory from that time?

I was about 10 years, when our class was given a task to write an essay about a favorite animal, for me it was a lion. And though a wrote an essay, I created a big painting of lioness, using gauche and crayons. The painting impressed the ELA teacher so much that she asked me to create illustrations for the best essays of our class. That was the first person who saw something new in me. When I finished this big book of illustration our teacher presented it to the school museum and put it under the glass. I was very proud then and felt something new about my drawings: maybe someone else would love them?..

We live our life so quickly, run through quick reels, quick stories, fast food and fast fashion.. we have no time to stop and dive into the art…just stuck in there.. People have no time to observe art around them.. If my paintings could stop people from rushing just for minute and make them feel emotions they prefer not to show I think that would be amazing..

Daria Shugaieva

2.  Your experience studying artists like Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali has clearly influenced your work. What aspects of their art resonate with you the most?  

I have the dialogue with both them. I mean when I look at the paintings of these two geniuses I feel like they are talking to me, answering my questions or sometimes ask their own questions.. Frida..I see two women in her fragile body: strong revolutionary warrior and a tender soul, who needs to be loved… Women nowadays are just like Frida: to survive in the world full of sexism and agism they have to put on strong masks to reach their goals, but inside..in their eyes you can find a woman so tender and fragile, who was created for love. Dali..he created a riddle, a mystery you are about to solve. I always try to guess his symbols, though of course book have opened our eyes on them, still I want to ask why this symbol appeared on this or that painting. He could have be an academic artist with understandable shapes, but he mixed his fears, dreams and visions with reality. His genius is Great, but he was still fragile without Gala.

3.   After losing your boutique, how did painting help you express your feelings during that tough time? 

I was devastated.. I had to do something to take out of my pain, my loss… i just started to put these feelings in someone’s eyes..transfer them.. I knew exactly what I wanted to paint and the feelings my captured in the eyes of women I painted: misery, loss, tragedy, remedy, love, tenderness..

4.  What message do you want to share through the stories of the women you portray in your art?  

That’s a difficult question.. Maybe I would like people to have dialogues with me through my paintings: “what is she feeling now? Did she lose the love of her life? I had this myself..this reflects..this hurts..but life is so beautiful in all emotions we have..” We live our life so quickly, run through quick reels, quick stories, fast food and fast fashion.. we have no time to stop and dive into the art…just stuck in there.. People have no time to observe art around them.. If my paintings could stop people from rushing just for minute and make them feel emotions they prefer not to show I think that would be amazing..

I usually talk to my ‘guests’ on the canvases, imagining their stories and giving them emotions I’m going through right now.. or emotions I feel somewhere around.

Daria Shugaieva

5.  Your work beautifully captures the complexity of human emotions. How do you convey those feelings through your choice of colors and techniques?  

I love working with oil, it has life in its structure. I usually talk to my ‘guests’ on the canvases, imagining their stories and giving them emotions I’m going through right now.. or emotions i feel somewhere around.. I don’t use many colors, i love mixing them on my palette to create my colors of skin, eyes, they become unique..

Daria Shugaieva’s story shows how strong the human spirit can be. Through her art, she not only deals with her own challenges but also highlights the shared emotions of women everywhere. By encouraging us to pause and reflect on our own feelings, Daria reminds us that there is strength in vulnerability and healing through creativity. To learn more about Daria, click the following links to visit her profile.

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