Dariya Leontieva, profesionalna umjetnica iz Odese, nije slučajno dospjela u Hrvatsku. Početkom velikog rata bila je prisiljena iznenada napustiti Ukrajinu s bebom. No, Split je odabrala svjesno, točno znajući u kojem gradu želi živjeti.

O dolasku u Hrvatsku

Dariya: Odesa je grad na moru, pa smo tražili slično mjesto. Mnogo sam putovala, dugo živjela, studirala i radila u Poljskoj i SAD-u, pa sam točno znala što tražim. Klima, sličnost jezika, ljubaznost ljudi – bilo nam je lako odabrati Hrvatsku.

Dariya je uvjerena da otvoren i prijateljski stav prema novoj okolini olakšava adaptaciju. Stoga svoje iskustvo interakcije s ljudima i institucijama u novoj zemlji ocjenjuje kao vrlo pozitivno.

Dariya: S vremenom sam zavoljela hrvatski pristup „polako-polako“ [smije se] i sada vjerujem da se može obaviti veliki posao, a pritom ne biti pod stresom i ne žuriti.

O studiju

Kada je Darijina kći malo porasla, odlučila se vratiti profesionalnim aktivnostima.

Dariya: Od početka studija [Dariya ima profesionalno umjetničko obrazovanje] radila sam na raznim projektima: oslikavala sam zidove u apartmanima, hotelima i restoranima, slikala velika platna.

No, u Splitu je umjetnica odlučila započeti s umjetničkim studiom.

Dariya: Čim sam odlučila ostvariti svoju zamisao, pronašao se i prostor i prvi gosti. Tako se počela razvijati zajednica ljudi (Ukrajinaca i ne samo njih) ujedinjenih ljubavlju prema kreativnosti.

Umjetnički studio „Art Hub Inspira“ nadahnjuje odrasle i djecu na kreativni razvoj. Dariya nudi individualne i grupne radionice, poduku slikanja za odrasle, satove crtanja za djecu i tinejdžere, kreativna događanja i zabave.

Dariya: Nastojim stvoriti prije svega atmosferu, ugodno i poticajno okruženje za stvaralaštvo. Radimo s različitim tehnikama i materijalima. Uvijek sam otvorena za želje svojih gostiju.

Dariya se planira vratiti i velikim narudžbama: već je oslikala zidove u jednoj slastičarnici u Splitu i u restoranu „Dubrava“ u Zagrebu. Umjetnica također slika po narudžbi, oslikava odjeću i modne dodatke. U perspektivi je širenje zajednice. Dariya tečno govori nekoliko jezika (ukrajinski, poljski, francuski, hrvatski, engleski) te poziva lokalno stanovništvo i goste Splita u svoj studio.

 

Redakcija želi Dariji ostvarenje svih kreativnih planova i beskrajnu inspiraciju.

 

 

Art Without Borders

Dariya Leontieva, a professional artist from Odesa, did not end up in Croatia by accident. With the start of the full-scale war, Dariya was forced to suddenly leave Ukraine with an infant. However, she chose Split with a clear understanding of where she wanted to live.

About arriving in Croatia

Dariya: Odesa is a city by the sea, so we were looking for a similar place. I have traveled a lot, lived, studied, and worked for a long time in Poland and the USA, so I knew exactly what I was looking for. The climate, the similarity of the language, the friendliness of the people – it was easy for us to choose Croatia.

Dariya is convinced that an open and friendly attitude toward a new environment makes adaptation easier. Therefore, she considers her experience of interacting with people and institutions in the new country as very positive.

Dariya: Over time, I came to appreciate the Croatian “polako-polako” approach [laughs], and now I believe that one can do great work while remaining calm and not rushing.

About the studio

When Dariya’s daughter grew a bit older, she decided to return to her professional activities.

Dariya: Since I started my studies [Dariya has a professional art education], I have worked on various commissions: painting murals in apartments, hotels, and restaurants, and creating large-scale paintings.

In Split, however, she decided to start with an art studio.

Dariya: As soon as I decided to realize my idea, I found the premises and my first guests. Thus, a community of people (Ukrainians and others) united by a love for creativity began to grow.

The “Art Hub Inspira” art studio inspires adults and children toward creative development. Dariya offers individual and group workshops, painting classes for adults, drawing lessons for children and teenagers, and creative events or parties.

Dariya: Above all, I try to create an atmosphere—a soulful and favorable environment for creativity. We work with various techniques and materials, and I am always open to the wishes of my guests.

Dariya plans to return to large commissions as well: she has already painted murals in a pastry shop in Split and at the “Dubrava” restaurant in Zagreb. The artist also paints custom canvases and does hand-painting on clothes and accessories. In the future, she plans to expand the community. Dariya is fluent in several languages (Ukrainian, Polish, French, Croatian, English) and invites locals and visitors of Split to her studio.

The editorial team wishes Dariya the realization of all her creative plans and endless inspiration.