Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eva Gamayun. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Eva thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
It took me 21 years to take the idea of becoming a professional artist seriously. Unlike most artists, I had no artistic parents, friends, or environment. On the contrary, literally everything in my surroundings seemed to prevent this idea from even crossing my mind. I was born in the last year of the USSR, in a small town far away from any cultural centers, amidst the great economic crisis in Russia.
As I grew up, my appearance opened alluring prospects for me. I became a model, a dancer, I traveled, experiencing a beautiful lifestyle that seemed attainable with minimal effort. However, I quickly grew bored of serving as mere decoration, I wanted to be a creator of beautiful worlds! The fact is, from a very unconscious age, I was profoundly curious and constantly stunned by the world, its beauty, and its abundance. To channel these overwhelming emotions and thoughts, I found solace in reading, fantasizing, and drawing incessantly.
Despite always creating in the background, the art world felt like a distant myth, disconnected from reality. At the age of 20, I reached a point of absolute despair. My mind hungered for more, and my passion to break free from the conventional paths of “reality” was so strong that I dared to give an art career a chance. When my mother first heard that I had decided to become an artist, she was scared. She told me that I was headed for poverty and the mental hospital. Now, she is proud of me and denies her initial reaction. However, to be honest, she wasn’t too far from the truth. The effort it took for me to become a full-time independent artist was enormous. It required dedicating my day and nights to this goal, leading to insomnia and absence of social life. For several years, I lived on the edge. and confident that I was on the right path.
Currently, I continue this journey in a healthier and happier way, curious about where it will lead me. I thank my past self for believing in the myth.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am Eva Gamayun, born in 1990 and currently based on Earth. As a self-taught mixed-media artist specializing in surrealism, my artworks depict subjects in dream-like states, often dissolving into their surroundings like mirages. I draw inspiration from nature, literature, scientific theories, ancient myths, the beauty of the human body, and the intricate illusions of the human mind. Through my unique style of acrylic painting, I convey stories of self-discovery and visualize dreams of other worlds.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I loved the question from a previous list about happiness, which I found an interesting topic as well. You asked: Are you happy as an artist? Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a regular job?
I am a happy person. I believe that happiness is not merely a state caused by certain conditions or positive events, but rather a fundamental aspect of one’s personality, allowing them to enjoy life.
Objectively, an artist’s life is filled with uncertainty, difficult decisions, impostor syndrome, anxiety, and many other challenges — side effects of going off the beaten track. However, when I see my ideas come to life from nothingness, when the colors blend perfectly and the forms come together to create illusions, it feels as if I have birthed a universe itself. Nothing compares to this feeling.
I have never had a regular job in my life, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like not to depend on my art for a living — how it might change if there were no constraints of common sense at all attached to it. More and more often I find myself considering it as an interesting experience to explore.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
A big change is happening in my life right now, and I think it’s going to shake up my career too. I’m leaving Russia to live somewhere else in the world, beginning with beautiful Germany. I’ve been getting ready for this move for the past two years since the war started, and it’s finally happening this summer. It is scary and exciting at the same time. I feel incredibly fortunate to have my creative skills and a community of wonderful people from all over the world supporting my art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://evagamayun.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evagamayun/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evagamayun/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvaGamayun
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqClMy22TkKRG2xuUvBdACw
- Other: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/evagamayun