Ilona Repkina

Bio:

Ilona Repkina is a Ukrainian visual artist born in 1990 in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she currently lives and works.

A self-taught artist with extensive experience in design and visual art, Ilona has developed a distinct artistic voice through original paintings, where emotions and observations are articulated with honesty and clarity. Her practice reflects a long-term, conscious engagement with visual expression.

Ilona works with traditional painting and graphic techniques and also incorporates digital methods into her practice.

Her current artistic practice is based on the observation of plants from different regions and the exploration of the emotional power of expressive line in graphic artworks.

Ilona is one of the heads of Kyiv’s department within the international “Urban Sketchers” community.

Artist Statement:

My artistic practice is rooted in observation of plants from different regions of the world and the exploration of the emotional power of expressive lines in traditional and contemporary techniques.

I admire both the lush tropical exotic plants and sunflowers of the continental climate where I live. 

I also enjoy capturing the transience of moments through sketches, using ink, fine liners and watercolor.

Since the age of fifteen, I have been engaged in spiritual practices, which also influence my artistic practice.

As a self-taught artist with skills in design and visual art, who shaped her practice through years of work in studios and international companies, I felt it was time to follow my own inner direction and create something deeply personal. I realized that I wanted to cultivate my own artistic voice through original paintings where my emotions and observations speak honestly. I felt the need to create a space where I could express myself without limitations.

My artistic philosophy is based on the conviction that art is a powerful tool that fills life with meaning and creates a sense of connection to what is truly significant.