Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliona Solomadina

Hi Aliona, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I began my journey in graphic design at the Kharkiv Academy of Design and Arts in Ukraine. I was captivated of magazines, and book covers and from my teenage years, I wanted to do such things. Over the past decade, I’ve been based in Kyiv, dedicating exclusively to graphic design across various fields, including culture, fashion, and education. I have a deep passion for this profession and continuously seek to explore and refine a wide range of skills and approaches within it. At the beginning of my career, my tasks and commissions were more technical, but I developed my own design vision over time. Now, I follow a more artistic approach, offering not only design services but also working on personal art projects.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

In the early stages, my struggles were largely aesthetic. It was often challenging to convince clients that minimalist design and typography are powerful tools in modern design. However, as I refined my vision, I embraced these elements as core aspects of my work.
Additionally, production and project budgets were quite modest, as I was seen as a beginner. But over time, by building trust, credibility, and respect with my clients, I gained access to better opportunities, allowing for more ambitious project execution and a more creative design process.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I have a deep passion for designing books. It’s an incredible experience to create a tangible object that becomes a cherished memory and a part of a personal or public library. This is why I strive to design visually captivating books, with exquisite production, refined design solutions, and a tactile experience that delights the senses.

In recent years, I have been working on my art project “City of Forms”, which explores the urban landscape and its inherent potential to generate new graphic systems and meanings. The project draws inspiration from the unique characteristics of each city, reflecting its landscape and architectural structures. “City of Forms” delves into themes such as the preservation of cultural heritage, the interplay of distance and time, memory, and the celebration of female creativity. These themes are expressed through various mediums, including prints on textiles and paper, lighting installations, and digital formats, all contributing to the narrative.

The journey of City of Forms began in 2018 in Kyiv, Ukraine, and has since expanded to include work in Prague, Dnipro (Ukraine), and Chicago. Each city’s distinct identity and cultural context have provided a rich source of inspiration, allowing the project to evolve and adapt continuously.

What matters most to you?

Transparency in the working process is essential to me—how the project evolves, the collaborative communication with clients, the discovery of the idea, and the connections it creates. Each project should reflect not just the final result but the journey behind it, showcasing the authenticity of the creative path and the meaningful relationships formed along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alionasolomadina.com
• Instagram: @alionasolomadina

Image Credits

AS_book design.jpg – Design for the book “Innovation in Isolation. The Story of Ukrainian IT from the 1940s to the Present”.
Photo by Volodymyr Nevzorov.

AS_portrait.jpg – Photo by Iryna Staragina.

AS_print.jpg – Print on textile.

AS_She_bag.jpg – Artwork ‘She’ on a tote bag.

AS_print_totebag.jpg – Print on a tote bag.

AS_Dnipro.png- City of Forms. Chapter 3: Dnipro. Printed textiles.

AS_Formation-of-Time_series2023-1.png – City of Forms. Chapter 4: Chicago. Print.