Today we’d like to introduce you to Ludmila Christeseva.

Hi Ludmila, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am an artist with a master’s degree in art and textile design from Belarus (2001). After moving to Sweden, I worked with Lars Wallin, Sweden’s leading haute couture designer, and continued my education at Konstfack. My exhibitions exploring femininity across cultures have been presented in collaboration with Swedish embassies in Eastern Europe. In 2016, I paid tribute to Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich with an exhibition at the Swedish Army Museum. My exhibitions have also been showcased at the Royal Armoury Museum (Livrustkammaren), the Nordic Museum, and the Oslo Freedom Forum, among others.

I am the founder of the nationwide peace project Gul & Blå: Hela Sverige flätar (Yellow & Blue: All of Sweden Weaves), which brought together over 8,000 participants. For my peacebuilding initiatives, I was awarded Impact of the Year by IHM Business School and nominated for the Nelson Mandela Award.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My career has been shaped by the incredible support and inspiration of the women I have met along the way. Their stories, resilience, and creativity have guided me through challenges and motivated me to keep pushing forward. While the journey hasn’t always been easy, the sense of sisterhood, unity, and shared purpose has provided strength and direction, making the path feel smoother. Every obstacle has been an opportunity to grow, collaborate, and create something meaningful—standing together in solidarity.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the initiator of the global textile movement for peace, “Crafts that Unite, Heal, and Last.” I lead weaving workshops across different countries, bringing together participants from Belarus, Turkey, Sweden, Ukraine, the USA, and beyond. These collaborations have grown into large-scale textile installations displayed at fairs, conferences, and museums—woven patterns of resilience and a legacy of our contemporary turbulent times marked by increasing armed conflicts, war, displacement, and children growing up without their fathers. I have never viewed crafts in the hands of Ukrainian refugees as just a hobby; I have always seen them as a means to connect, build a global sisterhood, and amplify women’s voices in the modern world. Together with my Ukrainian team, I mark May 8 as a day to remember those lost during WWII—including our grandfathers—and to honor the women who carried on, raising children and managing households alone. How many children grow up without fathers today?
We collect and transform ties—once symbols of power, but also deeply personal symbols of fathers, brothers, and sons—into brooches for spring 2025. Ties from Lanvin, Dior, Boss, Cerruti, Tiger of Sweden, and many other brands arrive from around the world. We reimagine them, giving grief a form: unique brooches meant to be worn close to the heart—symbols of love, warmth, and remembrance. More than ever, we need love today.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
During the pandemic, I realized that my art needed to take a new form. When the lockdowns lifted, I launched collective painting workshops with the aim of bringing people back together. Sharing a canvas and colors became a way to reconnect, heal, and support one another. Since then, introducing others to the therapeutic and transformative power of collective arts and crafts has become more meaningful to me than painting alone. Through my project, I bring people together across cultural, social, and generational divides—fostering connection, creativity, and shared understanding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christeseva.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arttengallery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ludmila.christeseva
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christeseva/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@christeseva
• Other: https://artten.se/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludmila_Christeseva

Image Credits
Portrait: Sebastian Von Wachenfeldt
Other images: Irina Shalimova