Anna Zaiachkivska: The Light of the Soul on Canvas
There are artists whose works you want to look at.
And there are those whose paintings you want to be in.
Anna Zaiachkivska is one of them. A Ukrainian artist and actress, an author of exhibitions, a person whose creativity carries light. Not decorative light. Not performative. But quiet, inner light — the kind that holds you when the outside world is dark.
Her painting blends figurative art, symbolism, and sacred motifs. Yet behind all the techniques and forms stands something very simple — a love of life. Of the human being. Of the feeling of unity with the world.
When you look at her canvases, it feels as though you see not paint, but a pulse. A heartbeat. The warmth of hands that do not rush, yet know exactly why they touch the canvas. Gold, symbols, the heart as an image of life — none of it is about décor. It is about a state of being. A space where one can pause and exhale.
— Anna, how did your journey in art begin?
“First of all, with childhood. Until the age of eight, I lived in a village with my grandparents. My grandfather made simple sketches — animals, landscapes. I would sit next to him and watch how a line appeared, how it came to life. It was magical.
He taught me to look attentively. To see beauty in the simple. To appreciate every stroke.
My mother was creative as well — she drew, made illustrations, decorated her works, performed in theatre, read poetry. She gave me the most important thing — freedom. The freedom to try, to make mistakes, to search for myself. Without that, I wouldn’t be who I am.”
This environment — nature, family, the quiet of the village — became Anna’s first artistic space.
— So your family was your first art school?
“Absolutely. My first paintings were always connected to nature and people. Their relationships, their small stories. Sometimes they were my own experiences, sometimes someone else’s. But they always found a response within me.”
Anna went on to study at the Institute of Arts of the Precarpathian University in Ivano-Frankivsk. There, she moved from realism and figuration to decorative art. An important stage was religious iconography — working with gold, sacred imagery, and symbols.
Over time, this evolved into her signature style: figuration, symbolism, color, and spirituality. She works with the canvas as if she is listening to it. The light of the paint, the movement of figures, the rhythm — everything has its own pause and silence.
— What inspires you now?
“Life. And what happens inside. Lately has been a very deep period — many choices, many inner decisions. I felt the need for spiritual growth, for connection with God, with the Universe, for searching for my purpose.
A new image appeared — the heart. I almost never worked with red before, but now it represents movement and life. It’s my personal internal process. My small battle and my strength.”
Each of her works is not an answer. It is a conversation. And an invitation into it.
The war became a trial for Anna. While in the United States, she experienced the pain of being unable to be near her loved ones. There was a feeling of helplessness. And then — an understanding: even from afar, one can be useful.
Through art and charity, Anna helped homes of mercy, children, elderly people, individual families. Her paintings and exhibitions became a way of giving light — not abstract, but very real.
— How has the war affected your art?
“I understood even more deeply why I do this. I cannot change the course of events, but I can give people a sense of light and hope. Every painting is a space where one can feel alive. Seen. Part of something greater.”
— What is the most important thing for you in meeting the viewer?
“Pure energy. I do not want to pass on my conflicts. Art, for me, is meditation, light, connection. A reminder that we are alive and needed by one another.”
Light — both physical and spiritual — has always been at the center of Anna Zaiachkivska’s work. Neither war nor personal crises can extinguish it. It simply becomes quieter. Deeper. Stronger.
Her paintings are not an escape from reality.
They are a way to endure it — while preserving faith, hope, and love.
And perhaps this is where the true power of art lies today.
Follow Anna’s creative work on Instagram
Photo credit: Tetiana Nikolaienko
