Anna Lugovska

The group show “潆洄 Confluence” at ACENTRIC Space in Shanghai (Zhujiajiao), where I exhibited alongside two artists Chaeyeon Hong (Korea) and Tianming Zhou (Alaric) (China). 23-30.08.2025

I presented the project called “Ode to Shadows of Zhujiajiao”. It consisted of two parts — paintings and monumental human figures, reflecting on the fluidity of time. On one hand, it draws inspiration from the old water town of Zhujiajiao, with its canals, narrow windows, and fleeting shadows, as well as the distinctive characters of its inhabitants, particularly the elderly. On the other, it connects to my earlier project Generation Link (2017–2019), developed after traveling through multiple Asian countries.

In that work, I examined the consequences of global influence and how the younger generation, shaped by social media and the internet, began to form a more unified identity despite vast cultural differences. In contrast, I chose to turn my attention to the older generation — those whose lives unfolded without digital saturation, preserving unique habits, features, and ways of being. Through my art, I sought not only to contemplate the aesthetic beauty of diversity inscribed in the faces of the elderly, but also to memorialize what may be the last generation untouched by digital unification.

The Chinese proverb says: “The previous generation plants the trees, the next enjoys the shade.” This shade becomes both metaphor and structure in my work — a monumental polyptych spanning more than six meters. Across four paintings, shadow functions as an allegory of continuity, shelter, and transmission — a visual space where memory and history are not static, but fluid, like the waters of Zhujiajiao itself. In this sense, the project articulates a profoundly localized response to the changing cultural landscapes of contemporary China.

Anna Lugovska presented her first solo exhibition in London at the D Contemporary gallery, nestled in the heart of Mayfair.
Her new art project, “Lines”, was on display from the 9th to the 19th of September.

“Traversing the rich tapestries of history, from Byzantine iconography and Japanese woodcuts to Middle Eastern symbolism, Anna crafts the omnipresence of lines, adorning flat silhouettes with intricate patterns that serve a dual purpose: they enhance the narrative within each artwork or visually deconstruct it, offering a fresh perspective on traditional forms.

The project “Lines” seeks to blur the boundaries between individual cultures and epochs, redirecting the viewer’s focus to the perceptual “line” through which these cultures are often viewed—an interpretation that can diverge significantly from their original context. By emphasizing this evolving perspective, Lugovska’s work encourages reflection on the fluid nature of identity and representation”.

Group show in Galerie Calabro, Zurich.
4.07.2024 – 27.07.2024.
Anna Lugovska presented five of her artworks from the project “Inner glance”.
Photo: Michael Calabrò & Anna Lugovska

The exhibition is organised by the M17 CAC, Nahirna 22 NGO and Art Support Fund.

The Assembly Scheme project focuses on the phenomenon of the Kyiv Institute of Automation. The exhibition brings together 60 artists representing a self-organised community of artists, which is a living organism that develops and transforms, triggering new ideas and reflections of the artists.

In her project the artist is aiming to determine what is reality. Is there an accurate mirror to reflect it?
“We share one world, yet each of us can be said to possess our own world. We evolve in our own reality, perceiving outside life as if through a multitude of transparent bubbles. People see only what they wish to see, deciding for themselves what they will or will not notice around them. The poets of ancient Japan composed haikus reflecting upon the ability for a human to glimpse the whole universe in a rain drop. We have the means to access an overall view of the world, but it often feels safer to focus on a minute detail, putting everything else aside or simply ignoring the bigger picture.
We hide in our bubbles seeking protection from the outside world. But is it possible to find safety we hope for in this fragile shelter with its transparent walls?
Shaken by social, political, and environmental instability, the reflections projected upon the surface of our bubbles lose precision, opening up the possibility for multiple interpretations. This multiplicity leads to misunderstanding and division. In the end, a majority chooses the lenses which are more comfortable for them, or accepts the interpretations provided by others. The stronger our conviction that the reflection is accurate, the more grotesque and surreal their shapes appear on our bubble’s surface.”
So, what is the reality, and where boundaries of an illusions lay?

From April 26 to May 1, 2019, the Startup Gogolfest international festival of contemporary art was held in Mariupol for the second time.
The city hosted theatrical performances, day and night musical performances, film shows and art exhibitions.