Alena Belyanko

Your art statement speaks about the “shadow” of the human being. What does this shadow mean to you personally, and why did you decide to bring it to the center of your visual language?

For me, the “shadow” is a space of genuine freedom — one that global institutions and social systems try to suppress by labeling it as “wrong” or “sinful.” I bring the shadow to the center of my visual language in order to deconstruct this hypocrisy. We live in a world where the pseudo-light of grand ideologies, religions, and political systems often turns into slave morality, violence against the individual, and total control through fear. This series exposes that paradox: today, the harshest destructive processes often take place under the guise of “absolute good,” while true human sincerity, allure, and inner autonomy are pushed by society into the dark, “demonic” side.

Alena Belyanko | In Passing

Many of your works combine disturbing, demonic figures with delicate or even playful elements. How do you find the balance between fear, irony, and tenderness?

This balance is a mirror of the structure of our world, which is not black and white. Absolute evil is often wrapped in an impeccable, respectable façade, while something that at first appears frightening or is condemned by society may turn out to be vulnerable and deeply human inside. Irony and paradox are the main tools in this series of works. When a brutal demon conveys tenderness and fascination, and is placed within everyday domestic settings, I deprive the “dark force” of its destructive pathos. Playful and delicate details within disturbing graphics are a way to domesticate fear and show that charisma and warmth are born at the intersection of extremes. It is a union between the cruelty of global social contexts and the fragility of an individual living being within them.

Alena Belyanko | Winged Swings

In your drawings, the monstrous often appears not as an enemy, but almost as a companion. Is your “demon” a threat, a protector, or a hidden part of the self?

My demon is a hidden but fundamental part of the personality, which in this concept acts as the main protector of the human being. It is dangerous to the system, but saving for individuality. In a world where hypocrisy flourishes under the slogans of patriotism, legal absurdity exists under the banner of democracy, and religions generate violence, the inner demon remains a symbol of rebellion and honesty. It does not carry the threat of destruction; it is a companion that allows one to preserve critical thinking, sexuality, and autonomy. It is relaxed and ironic because it is free from various dogmas.

Alena Belyanko | Birth Of Dreams

Your works often mix beauty and discomfort. What do you want the viewer to feel when they first encounter your images?

I want the viewer to experience cognitive dissonance when confronted with the double standards of their own reality. The discomfort arises from recognizing the hidden social traumas and absurdities that surround us, but which are usually silenced. This series of works is an invitation to step beyond imposed systems of values and to see that light and darkness in contemporary society have long since changed places.

Alena Belyanko | Who Is The Most Beautiful Here

If your art is a manifesto of accepting one’s nature, what kind of freedom do you hope your characters – and your viewers – can find through this acceptance?

It is freedom from slave morality and false ideals. My characters are free because they do not try to conform to dogmas or anyone else’s expectations. For the viewer, this is a manifesto of gaining mental freedom — the right not to participate in social hypocrisy, the right to acknowledge one’s complexity, one’s expressions, and one’s hidden facets. When a person stops blindly believing in the pseudo-light transmitted from above and accepts their shadowy, charismatic side, they escapes the control of fear. They become truly whole, alluring, and invulnerable to mass manipulation.