Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elena Berdnikova. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Elena, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

It is important for me to participate in meaningful projects that are dedicated to bringing goodness to the world. Creativity has the power to unite, support, inspire and gently care for others. I would like to share stories about several significant projects in which I participated as an artist.

One project called “Artists for Children” was dedicated to painting the walls and corridors in the pediatric cardiac surgery department of the children’s hospital. Children with the most complex heart conditions, ranging from a few hours old to eighteen years old, are admitted there. They spend extended periods in the hospital recovering after serious surgeries. The task for volunteering artists was to transform the hospital walls into a sunny island inhabited by various kind characters who bring positive vibes, smiles, care, and love to the children. Doctors, more than anyone else, know how important it is for young patients to have a comforting environment in a hospital room for a speedy recovery.

Creativity, like a magical elixir, has the ability to impact a person’s psycho-emotional state and, consequently, the physical level, helping overcome challenging periods. Artists, from amateurs to professionals, participated in the project knowing that even though they cannot heal children directly, they were quite capable of providing all possible assistance through paints and brushes. All sketches were drawn by artist Tatiana Veselova. The volunteer artists were free to slightly modify these sketches while painting on the walls, giving them a unique stylistic touch.

During the process, a soulful tradition emerged among artists to add heart symbols to the drawings, becoming a special feature and even a quest. Some doctors came during their breaks to see the ongoing work and searched for hidden hearts. The project received many grateful reviews from children, their parents and the doctors. It truly succeeded in designing a kind sunny island where even the walls contribute to healing.

Another valuable event for me was participating in the international charitable children’s project “Zimbara Goromi,” the author and curator of which is Elena Usnich. She wrote marvelous adventure stories for children and at that moment was looking for illustrators to implement her project.

“Zimbara Goromi” is a series of fairy tales where fantasies intertwine with ancient legends of fantastic creatures and worlds of the past, telling stories of friendship and trials, falls and victories. All stories have an engaging plot, allowing the young reader to immerse themselves in history, visit amazing places on the planet, and follow the path of goodness. A very important point is that all proceeds from the sale of books went to help orphanages.

The project team produced twenty books translated into eight languages for children from around the world. In this project I participated as an illustrator. I enjoyed creating illustrations, and at the same time it was a special feeling to realize that even a small piece of my creativity could contribute to an important mission – helping orphans.

This wonderful project brought together a large number of artists from forty-nine countries. Each book contains illustrations done in different styles and materials, with varying levels of skill, as anyone who responded to the author’s call could be an artist for this project, and many artists were children. The main feature that united everyone was the desire to share a piece of their heart with the world and transmit its warmth through creativity.

Elena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Elena Berdnikova. I am a visual artist exploring multiple directions in my creative journey. I was born and grew up in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, Russia, where I completed a children’s art school, receiving the basics of academic painting, drawing, art history, etc. Illustration also has been my interest since I can remember.

In my youth, I didn’t quite believe in my ability to pursue the path of an artist, and my family was skeptical and not particularly supportive about that idea. Having lots of doubts, I enrolled in university and earned a degree in a technical field, becoming an engineer-educator in IT. However, the desire to draw and evolve creatively never left me.

I learned and practiced painting and drawing after work and on weekends attending several art studios from time to time and occasionally participating in workshops by renowned artists. For many years I had to combine my regular job with my passion. This hasn’t always been easy to deal with, and it is a normal part of life. This whole path reflects my essence.

I love oil and acrylic painting, ink, gouache, and, of course, watercolor. At times I find it difficult to express my thoughts or emotions in words, and I show them through my artworks. Creativity is an integral part of me.

Ceramics is my recent discovery and has become the main focus of my artistic attention. Clay itself is a unique, tactile and durable material capable of expressing a wide variety of feelings and ideas. In working with three-dimensional forms, I strive to integrate all my knowledge and skills from the realm of drawing and storytelling. I enjoy inventing characters, decorating surfaces, and clay allows me to bring all these ideas to life with no limits for imagination and self-expression.

I tend to combine sculptural forms with a functional component. Typically, all my ceramic artworks not only have an aesthetic character but also possess explicit or hidden functionality, and I appreciate that. Perhaps my engineering education influences this, along with the drive from problem-solving in the process of creating small sculptures.

I have a strong desire to explore the world of ceramics furthermore. Clay has become my teacher in many ways and I am happy to be its patient scholar.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A substantial turning point occurred in my life when my husband and I, by twist of fate, found ourselves in another country in 2016. Although we arrived in sunny California, for me, this was a serious challenge with a radical change in lifestyle and rhythm, a language barrier, the lack of work permits, and the absence of family and friends. Adapting and getting used to a different way of life became a necessity, starting with attending “English as a Second Language” courses, seeking new friends, and generally accepting a new reality. Drawing was my saving grace. I was constantly sketching and rejoicing in the fact that the language of art is universal.

After a few years, I gained some courage and enrolled in a community college. This time, I consciously chose a major in visual art. Since then, my artistic life has shifted to a new, active, and more serious level. My internal motto – never give up on your passions and dreams – has started to sound louder. I felt like I got a second chance to follow the path of a professional artist. Shortly after that I also joined several local art communities and began participating in exhibitions and competitions where my work was noticed, and the level of my artwork was highly appreciated. I actually got acquainted with ceramics in college, where I continue to take classes to this day.

In addition to all the above, I continue to freelance in the field of graphic design, participate in pottery markets and fairs, started renting exhibition space in a gallery, and work there as a host. An unforgettable event for me occurred last spring when my sculpture won the President’s Award of Excellence and received the honorary title “Best of Show”, entering the permanent art collection of the college. This is a great honor for me and an inspiration to continue my challenging yet fascinating and exciting artistic voyage. I strive to acquire new knowledge and skills whenever possible, overcome my fears and doubts, and evolve as an artist. Perhaps over time, all of this will come together to form a cohesive picture.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Creativity, for me, is not only a means of self-expression, an inner voice with a unique personal vibe, nor just the ability to convey impressions of the surrounding world through the lens of personal perception, and not only a phenomenon that evokes emotions and catalyzes thought-provoking processes.This is also an opportunity to transfer light, tenderness and goodness into the world, to bring warm smiles from contact with my works of art, be it painting, illustration or ceramics. At least, that is what I hope for.

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