This week we chatted to Anna Salenko, an Artist, who was born in Russia, studied across Europe, spent seven years in China and then settled in Hong Kong. Anna shared her inspiration and beliefs with us.
1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I’m an artist and founder of Live With Art. My roots are from a small Russian town, eastern side of a county, Vladivostok. I lived closer to Asia than to Europe, and for my first big move I went to South Korea right after school at 17. It was my wrong choice to study business. At 18 I enrolled in fashion school. I spent 4 years in Italy. After that I went to Moscow for a couple of years before I turned back to Asia, and lived for 7 years in China, GZ. And from 2020 I’m here in Hong Kong.
2. Could you tell us more about your business/ passion?
In 2018, I started to create my own company LIVE WITH ART. The main idea of the company is, first of all, the popularization of art. We hold various events – workshops, exhibitions, live art shows – all with the aim of discovering the beauty of art to the world. My company is the place where I implement all my art projects and I really like it! At the moment I am planning to increase the staff of my company. This will help me conduct more workshops. But the main goal of my company is to introduce Hong Kong to the bright technique of painting with a palette knife and to show the unique beauty of the city through vibrant canvases. For me, Hong Kong is an endless source of inspiration. I want to tell the whole world about this through my art and with the help of the LIVE WITH ART company.
3. Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?
I am proud of myself for being able to find the place of my inspiration. Now I live in this place. People of art have such an assistant as a muse. Hong Kong is my muse. Hong Kong fills me with sea, sun and is the source of my inspiration. I flew to Hong Kong over a year ago. Literally a couple of days after my arrival, flights to Hong Kong were closed due to a wave of pandemic. I went through two weeks of total lockdown. Of course, I was scared. I worried about my future, about the future of my company. I went through this difficult period. This is another reason for me to be proud of myself.
4. How do you make yourself happy and ritzy in life?
I found my place of power. Place of meditation. I visited the Sai Kung area for the first time in June 2020. The moment when I realized that I am living. I looked at the blue water and sand, at the boats. The sound of the wind brought the singing of birds from afar.
My favourite place is LONG KEE. It will take you about 2 hours to hike there. But it’s worth it. An incredible view opens up at the top. The path to the pagoda, in which there is peace. And all thoughts and experiences seem so insignificant if you breathe in the air deeply.
If I can’t visit my place of power, I stay in the city and just enjoy its life. Sometimes a cup of good coffee in a coffee shop with a cozy interior can make me happy. I also find joy in drawing, in quick sketches that can capture the moment of pleasure.
5. What does your typical day look like?
I try not to get into a routine. Therefore, I do not have typical days. I am a very lively and agile person. Today I can devote a whole day to drawing, and tomorrow I will go to nature or find an interesting book. But I can’t imagine a day where I don’t have time for myself. I also love waking up with the first birds. I love the morning and the awakening of a new day.
6. Is there any life advice you would like to share with our audience?
Don’t think that genius and giftedness come to us from childhood. Especially when it comes to art. Everyone knows the names of Dali and Picasso, who took up brushes almost from infancy. So a person who decides to take up painting in adulthood often falls under the stereotypes. But the history of world painting knows many examples of the late awakening of talent. Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh. These great artists did not show any inclination for painting in childhood. I just want to say that ANYONE CAN BECOME AN ARTIST. Don’t listen to those who say you can’t. Don’t listen to those who say that you are not doing well enough! Draw if you enjoy it! Anyone WHO WANTS can become an artist 🙂 It’s never too late to start!
Ritzy Chat
There is a story behind every successful woman. Every week, we catch up and chat with incredible women doing incredible things shaping Hong Kong.
