Dina Melnik

You began your professional path in medicine before turning more deeply toward painting. How has your medical background influenced the way you observe the world and approach art?

You know, these two seemingly very different fields can, in fact, intersect with one another. At first, I wanted to find myself, to discover an interesting hobby, to create something, to bring beauty into the world — and I managed to do that. I can say with certainty that medical images and concepts, such as growth, fading, healing, and wounds, have become powerful metaphors in my art. They allow me to speak about broader themes of life through the lens of medical knowledge.

Dina Melnik | A View From The Heavens | 2026

You have been drawing since childhood, but fully immersed yourself in painting only in 2023. What made that moment feel like the right time to begin seriously?

In Kaliningrad, where I lived for half a year, I happened to see a street advertisement for art therapy classes. I began attending them, and the woman who led the classes invited me to an art studio run by the local Kaliningrad artist Boris Viktorovich Zhigalov. That was where I first tried working with oil painting.

That moment — this accidental turn of events and my meeting with Boris Viktorovich — became the very impulse that allowed me to truly immerse myself in painting. Before that, drawing had been more of a childhood passion, but there I felt that it could become something more than just a hobby.

Saint Petersburg became your home after you moved there in 2011. How does the atmosphere of the city affect your artistic vision?

Saint Petersburg, which became my home in 2011, has had a profound influence on my artistic vision. This city is a true magnet for the soul, and its unique atmosphere reaches deep into the heart.

I am fascinated by its extraordinary aura, woven from history, culture, and a special kind of melancholy. Even the harsh climate cannot overshadow the charm of this place; rather, it gives it a particular depth and drama. Its picturesque streets, each with its own story, and its majestic architecture, as if frozen in time, are an endless source of inspiration for me. I see in them not just stones and façades, but reflections of human destinies, eras, and aspirations.

For me, Saint Petersburg is the most European city in Russia, and this feeling runs through all of my work. It gives me a sense of belonging to something greater — to the world’s cultural heritage — and this feeling constantly nourishes my artistic vision, encouraging me to search for new forms and meanings.

Dina Melnik | Blood And Coal | 2026

Dance, landscape, and city scenes appear in your works. What themes are most important for you at this stage of your artistic journey?

Life itself suggests the subjects of my paintings. There are so many interesting things and places around us. I love creating sweet, colorful paintings. I love bright colors. I draw inspiration from my surroundings.

You work with oil, watercolor, and pastel. What does each medium allow you to express differently?

Oil paint dries slowly, which gives me a lot of time to work, mix colors directly on the canvas, make corrections, and refine details. This allows me to develop complex compositions more carefully and achieve the desired result.

Watercolor is fluid and unpredictable, which is why it is more difficult for me to work with than oil. Watercolor is ideal for conveying delicate, fleeting states of nature — fog, for example, or water. It allows me to create a sense of fragility and subtlety.

Pastel is different. I work with it very rarely; more precisely, I have created only one or two works in pastel as part of my studies at the Matisse Club art studio in Saint Petersburg, where I continue to improve my skills. What attracts me to this technique is its tactile quality. You touch the chalk directly and blend it with your fingers, which creates a strong sense of contact with both the material and the image.

Dina Melnik | Sunrise Over The Rooftops Of St. Petersburg | 2025

Your paintings feel very emotional, yet they also contain calm, reflective moments. How important is emotion in your creative process?

Of course, emotion is important. For me, creating each painting is a form of meditation, art therapy that lifts my mood and heals the soul.

When I take up a brush, I am not simply applying paint to canvas. It is a deep immersion into myself, into the world of my feelings and experiences. Each painting is, in a way, a diary of my soul, where I try to express the emotions that fill me at that moment. It may be intense joy, quiet sadness, exciting anticipation, or deep peace.