SELECTED WORKS
Katya Afonina
Katya Afonina was born in 1996 in Minsk. Completed painting and drawing courses at theRussian State University named after A.N. Kosygin (2019) and professional retrainingcourses in Painting at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov(2024). Resident of the 8th season of Open Studios at the Winzavod Center forContemporary Art, as well as residencies in Spain and Italy.In her work, she employs mixed techniques and works across various media, includingpainting, graphic art, sculpture, installation, and readymades.
About the artist
In her practice, Katya Afonina explores how various childhood psychological traumas — rooted in post-Soviet upbringing — manifest in a person’s later life. These traumas are evidenced by the pursuit of a certain idealized lifestyle, distorted notions of beauty and femininity, and a learned tendency to overlook them. Through her works, the artist seeks to make these hidden mechanisms visible. For instance, she constructs spaces that appear safe at first glance but are, in fact, illusions of a “perfect life” — where objects deceive us, promising psychological comfort they cannot deliver. The most effective medium for visualizing these ideas is simple drawing, as it allows the material world to be represented as a symbolic system, embracing extreme conventionality in representation.
Education
2024 – Camp Mette: A Devotion to the Slinky Margins – Tres Chic, a Glam Camp Holiday”, Salzburg Summer Academy, Salzburg, Austria
2024 – Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute, Professional Retraining in Painting, Moscow
2019 – Kosygin Russian State University, Courses in Painting and Drawing, Moscow
2021 – Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Bachelor’s in Effective Public Administration, Moscow
2016 – Minsk State Linguistic University, Secondary Specialized Education in English Language, Minsk, Belarus
Residencies
2024 – ACUR, Tàrrega, Spain
2023 – Lami-Genolini, Erba, Italy
2023 – Trikotazhka, Lyubov 24, Sergiev Posad
2022 – Open Studios, 8th Season, Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
Collaborations
2024 – Loginova x Aminova, Lobby, Moscow
2024 – Ex(bags), Moscow
2024 – Syndicate Lab, Moscow
2023 – The Cultt, Blazar, Moscow
2022 – Zolotoy Pesok (Golden Sand), Moscow
2021 – MeMy, Moscow
Solo Exhibitions:
2024 “Fashion Rebels", Moscow
2023 "The romance between an object and its reflection", curated by Emilia Askerova, Masters, Moscow
2023 “Dedicated to home(s)". PARQ, Ubud, Indonesia
2023 “Just Fun to Remember”. Lyubov 24, Paperclip bistro, Moscow
2023 "The Skeleton in the closet", together with K.Roslyak. ASG, CUBE Space, Moscow
2022 Exhibition of works by Yu. Sidorova and K. Afonina. Gallery Between windows x MOMO cafe, Moscow
Group Exhibitions:
2024 "Reflections". Tirage Unique Gallery, Moscow
2024 “Be Your Own Princess”. Summer Academy, Salzburg, Austria
2024 "Autumn Salon". Palace of Arts, Minsk
2024 "Reflection". Plato Gallery, ART4 Museum, Moscow
2024 "At the bottom of the sea". Elokhovsky Gallery, Moscow
2024 “The Magic of Love”. Corals Art Gallery, Milan
2024 "There are days like this before spring." Byl Contemporary Art Center, Stary Oskol, Russia
2023 "Completely out of hand." Cube Space, Moscow
2023 "Vernissage". Elektrozavod Gallery, Moscow
2023 OPEN. VOL 3 a-s-t-r-a, Moscow
2023 "Artifact". One's Mind Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2023 "Thread". Creative Industrial cluster "Octava", Tula, Russia
2023 "Not-place". Ground Solyanka, Moscow
2023 Exhibition of young artists. Tirage Unique Gallery, Moscow
2022 "Legend". Vinzavod Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
2022 ART WEEK, Novosibirsk, Russia
2022 "TOGETHER". All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts, Moscow
2022 "Flowers and only". VDNKH, Moscow
2021 "The Breath of Art". AVIAPARK Shopping center, Moscow. Charity project from Longidaz and EMC
Art Fairs and Markets:
2024 Win-win Contemporary Art Market, Moscow
2023 Blazar Young Contemporary Art Fair, Moscow Museum, Moscow
2022 Win-Win Contemporary Art Market, Vinzavod Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
2024 “Fashion Rebels", Moscow
2023 "The romance between an object and its reflection", curated by Emilia Askerova, Masters, Moscow
2023 “Dedicated to home(s)". PARQ, Ubud, Indonesia
2023 “Just Fun to Remember”. Lyubov 24, Paperclip bistro, Moscow
2023 "The Skeleton in the closet", together with K.Roslyak. ASG, CUBE Space, Moscow
2022 Exhibition of works by Yu. Sidorova and K. Afonina. Gallery Between windows x MOMO cafe, Moscow
Group Exhibitions:
2024 "Reflections". Tirage Unique Gallery, Moscow
2024 “Be Your Own Princess”. Summer Academy, Salzburg, Austria
2024 "Autumn Salon". Palace of Arts, Minsk
2024 "Reflection". Plato Gallery, ART4 Museum, Moscow
2024 "At the bottom of the sea". Elokhovsky Gallery, Moscow
2024 “The Magic of Love”. Corals Art Gallery, Milan
2024 "There are days like this before spring." Byl Contemporary Art Center, Stary Oskol, Russia
2023 "Completely out of hand." Cube Space, Moscow
2023 "Vernissage". Elektrozavod Gallery, Moscow
2023 OPEN. VOL 3 a-s-t-r-a, Moscow
2023 "Artifact". One's Mind Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2023 "Thread". Creative Industrial cluster "Octava", Tula, Russia
2023 "Not-place". Ground Solyanka, Moscow
2023 Exhibition of young artists. Tirage Unique Gallery, Moscow
2022 "Legend". Vinzavod Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
2022 ART WEEK, Novosibirsk, Russia
2022 "TOGETHER". All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts, Moscow
2022 "Flowers and only". VDNKH, Moscow
2021 "The Breath of Art". AVIAPARK Shopping center, Moscow. Charity project from Longidaz and EMC
Art Fairs and Markets:
2024 Win-win Contemporary Art Market, Moscow
2023 Blazar Young Contemporary Art Fair, Moscow Museum, Moscow
2022 Win-Win Contemporary Art Market, Vinzavod Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
