Background

I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and was raised in Finland where I currently reside. I have also lived in Sweden, United Kingdom, Italy and Brazil and have travelled extensively. This experience has helped free my mind, and taught me to look within to find myself and my own voice.

Education and training

I am a self-taught artist, however I have worked in the creative industry for a decade as a producer. I attended Hyper Island in Sweden, which is an innovative school of digital media that taught me personal responsibility, how to be inquisitive and to focus on solutions. I have worked at many high level agencies and with incredible brands such as Nike, adidas, Burberry and Diesel, in bringing the creative vision to life. This led me to becoming a full-time artist, which I have now been for five years. A parting gift from working hard in this field is that I have the advantage of knowing how to present and market myself, how to communicate and be very organised.

What was the driver of working with natural materials?

I reflect on my background and the present. The living in different countries, my travels and freelancing with different agencies. Now living in a smallish town in Finland and also practicing meditation and yoga seriously for a while, has trained me to look at what is in front of me here and now. Finding stimuli and beauty in what is before me comes naturally now. Sustainability is definitely something I am aware of, from the studio props to the materials I use, I definitely find it important to minimise my impact on nature.

What were some of your most impactful industry experiences?

In 2015, two of my artworks got into the Royal Academy of Arts Summer show and even sold on the press day! I received a beautiful gilded invitation and it was an opportunity to meet with great contemporary artists, as well as Academician artists that I admire such as Tracy Emin and Martin Craig-Martin, (who coordinated the show). It was such an honour and opportunity and such an incredible space. However, during this time I was in Finland and getting ready to give birth to my son River and couldn’t attend. None the less, this pushed me to focus and grow as an artist, and I believe that I have grown so much in these five years.

What would you do differently now?

Getting the right partners, gallery and dealer. I want someone that believes in me and understands my work and propels me to the next level. This is in the works at the moment and that is super exciting!

What industry networks are you a part of?

The Finnish Artist Association, but nothing much has come out of it. The positions I have applied for are heavily focused on the Curriculum Vitae and exhibits you have had and I think that this is hard to break through if you don’t live in the art capitals of the world. I am thinking global and in this respect Instagram has opened up a conversation that I value very much. This is how I look at things, instead of waiting for something or someone, I push myself and do a little bit of work every day towards my goals and create my own opportunities. A big part of this is dismantling the limiting beliefs about being an artist and choosing to believe in yourself, to create and to share.

Svetlana Bogatcheva is a contemporary artist pushing the boundaries of painting and sculpture. Her textured and voluminous monochrome works have been exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Uk, in Finland, South Korea and are part of art collections worldwide.