Today we’d like to introduce you to Tatiana Kharina (aka Tanuchkiss).
Hi Tatiana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been an artist, I just didn’t realize it. My journey to this realization was long and twisty. I grew up in a simple working family in a remote part of Russia with a harsh climate and tough people.
I studied hard to get a job in Moscow where I was happy to find an easier climate, a partner, and a boring yet well-paid job in insurance. Then everything went south: I lost my job and my partner. I didn’t know what to do next. The Universe was giving me a warning signal that I was moving in the wrong direction and I needed to turn.
That’s when I took my first step into the dark – I enrolled in evening classes for Interior Design, and that opened a whole new world for me. The rest is a long story, but now I’m in LA and the most important thing is that I make art every day. I am still on a path and don’t know where it leads, but I know that I am moving in the right direction.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Where do I start with the struggles? Looking back, I think one of the biggest challenges was to start everything from a scratch in a new country. Being an immigrant is not easy, you are working multiple minimal-wage jobs 10-12 hours a day and questioning your choices in life. But that is in the past; the obstacles and challenges I faced led me to where I am now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My art is emotionally loaded and color-intense. I do oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, cardboard, and wood panels, and also create hand-painted clothing. My artistic process is dictated by a place, moment, and mood, and always driven by intuition. I am currently working on a couple of new pieces in a style that is different for me. They are really fun. I don’t what to give any spoilers – just follow me on Instagram and you will see them in a couple of weeks. The bottom line is this: everything I create is for others to see and feel.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Not many of my followers and friends know this, but a lot of my works are painted from nude live models. Even some of the extremely abstract ones. And it is really funny what often happens – a model sees my non-representational abstract painting of them and says ”This is totally me! You’ve captured what’s inside”. Love it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tanuchkiss.art
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tanuchkiss
