Interview: MK
Every Saturday we’re spotlighting remarkable local females who could change the way we look at the world. This Saturday is Sofi Deyneka’s turn, a Ukrainian artist who left her hometown for love and is making her dreams come true here in Trieste.
Where are you from?
Sofi: I was born and raised in Ukraine, in a small town called Yuzhne, which means “southern”. As its name suggests, it’s located in the southern part of the country, near Odessa.
When did you know you wanted to be an illustrator?
I loved drawing since I can remember myself, and before I could even talk, I already drew on (and ruined) books and any paper I could find. This way I ended up in the world of art. In kindergarten the educators noticed my passion, so when I started first grade, my grandma singed me up for art school. There were times when I felt like stopping, but my grandma insisted I continued. She really believed in my ability to become a painter.
It takes that one special person to make us believe in ourselves.
I agree. At 16 I started going to an art Lyceum in Odessa, specializing in ceramics, but mostly because it had the watercolor painting classes, which I wanted to pursue as a career at the time. I graduated 4 years later and moved 800km away to study graphic design and illustration in the Lviv National Academy of Arts. What an adventurous time!
How did you end up in Trieste?
While I was living in Lviv, I met Oles, a street musician who had lived for many years in Trieste. We dated for two years, and in July 2018 we got married. Six months later we moved to Trieste.
Were you excited to make such a big change?
Yes and no. It was very hard at the beginning as we moved right before the pandemic started, so I didn’t manage to make the connections needed to adapt to a new city, learn and practice a new language.
What about now?
Now I feel I’ve made good progress. I am still exploring new passions, even stepping outside of drawing, which has been my comfort zone for most of my life. I am taking a course in web design, which excites me a lot. I’m looking forward to developing this into a career, while always keeping illustration as a trustful companion to spend my free time with.
