The second volume of our Studio Visit Book, presented by the Arts to Hearts Project, is a heartfelt celebration of creativity and strength. Just like the first volume, this edition features the stunning works of 35 talented women artists, but it goes beyond just showcasing their art. It gives you the chance to learn about their passions, challenges, and dreams. A special highlight of this volume is the cover art by Anhelina Holembivska. Her breathtaking artwork, with its vivid portrayal of emotion and beauty, captures the essence of the book perfectly. What makes it even more special is that Anhelina has created a self-portrait for the cover, showcasing her remarkable talent and elegance. This self-portrait is a reflection of who she is as a person, offering us a glimpse into her world. Anhelina’s cover is the perfect visual introduction to the incredible stories that await within.

Anhelina, A Ukrainian Heart

Anhelina was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she spent much of her early years in the countryside. Surrounded by the natural beauty of her homeland, she developed a deep connection with nature. This love for nature sparked her interest in art from a young age, and she spent countless hours observing her surroundings, captivated by the vibrant landscapes, flowers, and wildlife of her hometown. Her desire to capture the beauty of the world on paper laid the foundation for what would become a lifelong passion for painting.

Education and Artistic Formation

Anhelina’s formal art education started at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Kyiv, where she studied book illustration and graphic techniques. There, she learned the basics of classical art, working with different materials and techniques. Her time in Kyiv helped her build strong technical skills and gave her a deeper love for Ukrainian art and culture. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, Anhelina felt a strong desire to go to Italy, a country known for its rich art history and creativity.

Moving to Florence was a big turning point in Anhelina’s life. She was drawn to the city’s deep connection with art. It wasn’t just the beautiful buildings or the famous paintings in the Uffizi Gallery that inspired her; it was the overall history of art in Florence. The city became her learning space, where she not only studied the works of great artists but also started to develop her own unique style.

At the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Anhelina worked on improving her skills further. She studied the art of famous Renaissance artists like Ghirlandaio and Botticelli, especially their intricate floral designs, which influenced her own work. But Anhelina didn’t stop at Western European art. She also found inspiration in Eastern art, particularly Japanese woodblock prints. By blending these different styles, she created a distinctive way of working that mixed tradition with modern ideas.

Holembivska’s Art Style

Anhelina’s art style is a mix of classical European techniques and Eastern influences, especially Japanese art. She mainly works with oil painting and watercolor, but her style is also shaped by different art movements, like the precise detail of the Flemish school and the emotional depth of 19th-century French and English paintings.

A key theme in Anhelina’s work is still life. She believes that still life has a special way of making inanimate objects feel alive, with their own personalities. She says,

“When I work in this genre, I try to capture the personality of each object and the overall mood of the whole scene. I ‘humanize’ my heroes.”

Anhelina’s flowers are more than just representations of flowers; they are full of human emotions. She doesn’t just want to paint a “red poppy” or a “white rose”—she wants to create flowers that people can connect with emotionally. Each flower in her paintings has its own personality—happy, lonely, sad, or even worried about time passing

This approach reflects Anhelina’s love for capturing the fleeting beauty of life. She says, “In art, I am drawn to capturing this short-lived beauty. The bright emotion is transferred to the canvas and continues to live.” This idea is central to her work, as she tries to preserve emotions and moments that would otherwise disappear.

Anhelina’s talent for blending European and Eastern influences is especially clear in her bird paintings. She gets inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and uses their compositional style in her own work. Her art blends realism and abstraction in a delicate way, and she keeps exploring new techniques to express her artistic vision.

Anhelina’s Journey of Growth and Exploration

Anhelina’s artistic journey is one of constant growth and exploration. She began her career working primarily in watercolors, but her desire to push the boundaries of her art led her to oil painting. This shift in medium opened up new possibilities for her, allowing her to explore textures, depth, and color in ways that watercolors couldn’t. Italy’s influence on her work is undeniable, with its history of artistic excellence serving as both inspiration and motivation.

It’s clear that Anhelina doesn’t rest on her laurels. She is always looking for new themes and techniques to explore, always striving to improve her craft. The technical skills she has developed over the years have given her the freedom to express her ideas with greater clarity and emotion. As she puts it,

The higher the skill level is, the easier it is to convey my ideas. This is what gives me artistic freedom to create.”

Recognition & Accomplishments

Anhelina’s work has gained a lot of attention and has been shown in many well-known exhibitions around the world. She is represented by Arcadia Contemporary Gallery in New York City, where she has taken part in several group exhibitions, such as Five and Under (2024), The Great Outdoors (2023), and The Frame Remains The Same (2022). These exhibitions have helped establish her as a leading figure in contemporary realism, highlighting her skill in still life and the emotional depth she brings to her art.

Anhelina has also had the honor of showcasing her work at major art events like the LA Art Show (2023, 2024), the Seattle Art Fair (2023), and Botanical Beauty at Mokum Gallery in Amsterdam (2022). Her participation in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition (2021) and the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition (2021) in London further strengthened her reputation as a top contemporary artist.
Her work has been featured in various art publications and is part of private collections worldwide. Anhelina’s unique ability to blend realism with emotive themes has earned her a devoted following, and her art continues to resonate with audiences across different cultures and backgrounds.

What’s Next for Anhelina?

The future looks bright for Anhelina, as she is an artist who goes beyond simply representing objects in her work. Through her still life paintings, she brings out the emotions and fleeting beauty that are often hidden in everyday things. By combining classical European art techniques with Eastern influences, she has gained recognition in the contemporary art world. Her work has been showcased in exhibitions worldwide, and it’s now part of many private collections. Anhelina’s dedication to capturing both beauty and emotion in her paintings ensures that her art will continue to touch people for many years to come.

We wish Anhelina the best of luck as she continues to inspire and connect with art lovers around the world!