About the Artist

Hello, I'm Varvara.

I was born and raised in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, an ancient town on the Black Sea coast of Ukraine, and I now live and paint in Nuneaton, England.

I am a self-taught artist. I picked up a brush in 2019 and have not put it down since. Painting became the place where I could say what I could not say out loud: about loss and starting again, about fear, and about the light we carry inside even in the darkest moments.

I work in acrylic with textured paste and a palette knife. I build the surface in layers, so the paintings are meant to be seen in real light: the texture catches it, and the colours change from morning to evening. I often combine smooth, quiet faces with rough, living texture around them, because I think that is what people are like.

I also write poetry, in English and Russian, and many of my paintings have a poem written alongside them.

Every original comes signed, with a certificate of authenticity. I also take commissions: if you have a story you would like turned into a painting, I would love to hear it.

Varvara Shevchenko

Instagram: @varvara_artworld