Vikky Mir

Year of birth: 1990.
Your education: Art school, higher education management.
Describe your art in three words: Sensitive, modern, unusual.   
Your discipline: Vector graphics, acrylic and oil painting, video blogging.
Website | Instagram

Can you tell us about your artistic journey and how you started creating vector graphics and illustrations?

I always knew that I was meant to be an artist. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. However, I used to earn a living in other ways, having mastered four non-creative professions. The fifth profession I learned was as a vector graphic artist.

At 28, I was hospitalized due to heart problems. I thought I might not survive. At that moment, I regretted only one thing – that I hadn’t tried to show the world my art, even though it always seemed to me that art was the one thing I was born for. Less than a year after that hospital situation, I began drawing professionally. Since 2019, I have been a vector graphics artist for microstocks.”

What inspired you to begin selling your paintings in 2023, and how has that experience been for you?

Undoubtedly, drawing is one of the things that makes me happy in life. I enjoy creativity in all its forms, but at one point, I realized that working with vector graphics didn’t fully reveal my potential. I wanted to experiment with different materials, create three-dimensional paintings with oil paints, use acrylics and textured paste, and work with space.

You could say that vector graphics became ‘too small’ for me. I am very grateful for this direction and have learned a lot from it; moreover, I still sometimes love creating vector images. At the same time, I feel that it’s time for me to move forward. Working on canvas provides that experience.

Vikky Mir | 28 Days Per Year | 2024

Your project “Women: Inside and Outside” is very intriguing. Can you elaborate on the themes and messages you aim to convey through this series?

Thank you very much for the high praise of the ‘Women: Inside and Outside’ project! One of my favorite subjects in art is the depiction of people. Often, how a person looks on the outside reflects their inner world. I am interested in the spiritual and psychological aspects of personality, and this is what I would like to convey in my works.

The theme of women, as I see it, is not fully explored in art. Sometimes the image of a woman can be used as an object, but I would like to achieve a completely different result. I try to make each female image complex and multifaceted.

Women are everywhere: on the street, in transport, next door. Ordinary women: alive, natural. Each with her own character and unique set of personal qualities. I am a woman myself.

Vikky Mir | Birds of the World Nearby | 2024

How do you incorporate your personal experiences and internal processes into your art?

You know, I consider myself a very sensitive person. Sometimes I feel that every event I experience in life stays within me forever, and I collect these feelings drop by drop like a vessel.

For example, I attended group therapy sessions with a psychologist. We had a women’s group. Each participant shared life situations that will remain in my memory and heart forever, as I perceived them so deeply. Later, these feelings are realized in my paintings. This is how the ‘Women: Inside and Outside’ project was also created.

What role does nature and the surrounding world play in your creative process?

People are often busy with their thoughts, immersed in solving everyday problems, and do not notice what is happening around them. It is beneficial for each of us to stop and watch how the grass grows, how clouds float across the sky, and to think about what place we occupy in the world.

Of course, a person does not live separately from the surrounding world. We all harmonize with it. I live in a climate with pronounced seasonal changes. Even the change of seasons can affect my inner state.

Do you know when I rest? When I walk in nature. All the rest of the time, my thoughts are occupied with work, projects, new ideas about creativity, or the video blog I run.

I bought a lot of plants for my home to create a little island of nature. When I take care of them, I rest and distract myself from all tasks.

Vikky Mir | Freedom of the Winds | 2024

How do you balance working with both digital and traditional media, and do you have a preference between the two?

Of course, when working with both digital and traditional media, you need to manage your time well. There should be a daily routine and an understanding of the priority of tasks. There are periods when I have projects for custom vector illustrations or need to paint paintings for an exhibition within a deadline. If I have commitments to certain people, I fulfill that work first.

If there is no work that needs to be completed by a specific time, then I set priorities at my discretion. At this period of my life, I prioritize traditional media.

Vikky Mir | Dancing with a Flamingo | 2024

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out in their careers?

Work hard, constantly improve your skills, no matter what level they are at. Learn, experiment, don’t be afraid to try new things. Believe in yourself. Provide yourself with strong moral support that will help you overcome any difficulties along the way.