Daria Ovchinnikova

I was born into a creative family: my father is a professional practicing artist, a member of MOSKh, and a teacher of academic drawing at MGPU, and my mother has been the founder and instructor of the art studio «Dar-Studio» for over 20 years. Since childhood, I have been surrounded by art and paintings, initially visiting art galleries and museums together with my father, and later on my own, not only in Moscow and Saint Petersburg but also in cities across Europe. In 2011, I successfully defended my diploma at the Moscow City Pedagogical University, specializing in Fine Arts; my diploma advisor was Rustam Ismailovich Yaushev. I was awarded the qualification of "Teacher of Fine Arts" with a specialization in "Fine Arts" and "Environmental Design." For several years, I taught art to children aged 10-13 at the children's creativity studio «Dar-Studio» and at GBOU School No. 49.
But I did not stop there; I decided to study architecture. In 2015, I defended my diploma for a second higher professional education at the State University of Land Management, specializing in "Architecture," and was awarded a bachelor's degree. During my studies, I explored art history, painting, graphics, and attended a sculpture studio. I worked as an architect and designed buildings. This experience also influenced my painting and overall perception of art, so I consider it important to mention. In cultural history, it is quite common to find architects who are also excellent graphic artists and painters. These two professions go hand in hand. We all know names such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Le Corbusier, Viktor Vasnetsov, as well as contemporaries like Zaha Hadid, Sergey Kuznetsov, and my diploma advisor Vladimir Alexandrovich Somov, who, alongside his work as an architect and teacher, also painted. After completing my second higher education, I continued my artistic practice, creating paintings and panels using various artistic techniques. I paint on commission and for myself.

In 2023, I became a member of the Professional Union of Artists and was included in the Unified Register of Professional Artists of the Russian Empire, USSR, «Russian Abroad», the Russian Federation, and the republics of the former Soviet Union (18th–21st centuries).
In 2024, I participated in a painting exhibition at the Red Loft space.
 

 My diploma work, an oil diptych titled «Moscow Hippodrome», is permanently exhibited in the lobby of the MGPU building. Currently, I work as an interior designer and create commissioned paintings tailored to specific interiors, while simultaneously working on paintings that I will later be able to present at exhibitions. Throughout my practice, I have experimented with various materials: oil, pastel, watercolor, charcoal, graphite pencils, acrylic, and texture pastes. I like oil and acrylic the most. My architectural education has also left its mark on my artistic works. I think not only within the plane of the canvas but beyond it as well; I enjoy large volumes in paintings and use construction materials in my panels. My recent works reflect my interest in exploring volume, textures, and surfaces in fine art and their perception by viewers.