Alina Altukhova

Artist Statement

I am an abstract artist and architect of Ukrainian-Bulgarian descent, with a European education, currently based in Irvine, CA.

My love for art led me to architecture: from creating first projects and interior designs to being a two-time scholarship recipient of the International Visegrad Fund and a PhD student, a lecturer at the Czech Technical University in Prague, and a winner of international architectural competitions. I have traveled a long journey as a researcher in search of beauty and its value in the modern world.

My art explores the contradictions between the unique and the ideal in contemporary mass culture. I invite contemplation on why beauty, fashion, and brands have a hypnotic effect on modern women, influencing their self-esteem and social acceptance. The obsession with fashion has suppressed women's ability to express themselves and pushed the beauty of the inner world to the background.

Questions of price and value, and the beauty of the external and internal worlds in modern life, are the dialogue I engage in with the viewer, following the replication and copying seen in Andy Warhol's pop art. The ideal has become mainstream today. In contrast, I seek individuality through painting, projects, and installations.

I reflect the conflict between uniqueness and redundancy by working with empty branded packaging materials. The symbol of modern beauty is an empty branded box. It loses its value without its contents. I see fashion brands as art with deep meaning and history. Icons of style, cult items, their signature, recognizability, and energy fascinate me. At the same time, the text I introduce on the canvas refers to graffiti and street art, amplifying the conflict between the elite and the mass.

Using the technique of appropriation, I create my visual language through upcycling – creating collages and installations. In many works, I replace the canvas with expensive branded bags, which completely changes their original purpose and gives the paintings additional meanings. I love working with acrylic paints, and pink is present almost in every piece as a symbol of tenderness and woman's inner beauty.

Inspired by Audrey Hepburn's character in the ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ iconic film, I strive through my art to remind women that true beauty lies in imperfection, and nothing external can replace the beauty of the inner world. Nothing can feel beautiful if there is no beauty within.

International publications, participation in conferences, and my background allow me to view the same things from different perspectives and see beauty not only on the outside but also on the inside.

My artworks are on Artsy, featured in British Vogue and participate in international art fairs and exhibitions.

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