Zlata is a painter who merges fine art, fashion, and Japanese mythology. Her black-and-white world is built around a hauntingly lovely figure on Nō masks. Influenced powerfully by avant-garde fashion, she makes many garments in her work, blending history with present-day expression. While embracing digital media, she is still committed to traditional artistry, resisting AI-generated fashion trends. Restless and always moving, Zlata is constantly pushing the boundaries of her visionary world.

1. From my knowledge, you have been drawing since childhood, but was there a moment that particularly influenced the formation of your artistic style?

As far as I remember I have been always drawing. In childhood, I just drew whatever I wanted without any style or subject. In the art school, it was impossible to evolve creatively because it would mean a deviation from the established academic standards, which actually made me give up on my studies. 

Later, when I was free from academic constraints, I continued to draw but struggled with finding my identity. I was haunted by a fear that I expropriated somebody else’s style. It obstructed my development. I wanted to find a character to build my world around it. I liked Nō masks and wanted to make them a part of my emerging style. So I spent days borrowing, reshaping, and experimenting with medium and textures. I reckon I was profoundly inspired by Yashiromo Nara whose personality and art finally refined my style.

2. Stylistically speaking, you pursue the path of Japanese-inspired figures, can you explain the meaning of Okama and why you chose Okama for your drawings?

Okame or Otafuku represents a female traditional Nō theatre pair. Okame represents a lovely, always smiling Japanese woman with plumpy cheeks and merry eyes. There’s no major reason why I’ve chosen it. Her visual representation seemed appealing. So I borrowed her shape to base my character on.

3. What role do black and white play in your work? Do you think colour can distract from the main idea?

In my life I want everything to be in one cohesive style, color palette etc. Concentration on certain color sets removes visual noise and lets you focus on your priorities. I used to work with colors but it didn’t make me happy. So, I agree, that it helps to avoid distraction and and ensures visual tranquillity and dedication.

4. What drawing tools or programs do you use most often, and how long does it take to create one illustration?

I mostly draw on my iPad in the Procreate application. It is very handy and lets us. I often carry my iPad with me to draw in aeroplanes, trains, and cafes, so it the the preferable medium for me. 

As for the duration, it depends on the genre as differs in size, complexity and details. In average it takes me approximately seven hours to finish one illustration.

5. Here is a noticeable connection with fashion in your work. What does this mean to you personally and how does it affect your artistic process?  

Fashion and clothes are very important for me, without them I wouldn’t be myself. They fill up my day with no exception. My mood, behaviour, and feelings are directly affected by the things I wear. If we take my art, clothes change to render a mood and sentiment, while the character itself remains intact. 

As for the designers, I’m inspired by Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, and Issey Miyake, the clothes I wear every day. And some of my illustrations portray their items. 

However, in the majority of cases I design clothes I draw myself. It depends on the silhouette I want my character to fit in.

6. Before pursuing art full time you previously studied Law in MGIMO, but left to pursue art, was it a difficult decision to make?

I studied International Comparative Law in MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations) for one year. I never wanted to become a lawyer or was in no way interested in legal studies but because I was drawing without stopping, I didn’t have much time to get ready for the university, and MGIMO was an easy one to enrol for money. 

I didn’t like the studies at all with the exception of French. I expected it to be somewhat inspiring and interesting, though there was one perk in the curriculum: a chance to spend half a year in Geneva.

However, all the time I couldn’t keep feeling that everything was out of place and it was in no way what I wanted to do with my life. I agree it was a risky move to give up on higher education but it was really for the good and there are no regrets. I’m happy to choose what I really want to do.

7. Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok give artists the access and opportunity to widen their audience base. Is it difficult to succeed today without a digital presence?

I believe that social media is the very channel for artists to get recognition: TikTok, and Instagram reels. You need to snipe the trending audio and topics and build up on them. I can’t say I am dedicated to developing my art using social media. Now I just keep on working, sharing my current projects when I feel like it. However, I plan to get more into it in future.

8. Is digital art as significant as traditional painting in fine art, especially in the age of AI? Does modern technology enhance the value of digital illustration, or does it blur the line between human creativity and machine-generated content?

For me, traditional art will be always on top, and the simplest traditional artwork will be more valuable and cooler than any sophisticated digital work of art. The fact that work is processed physically is very important to me. That’s why I don’t like NFT. 

As for AI, since its emergence in art, I have been very sceptical, and my attitude toward it hasn’t changed. I do believe that AI as a tool helps artists in certain ways to generate ideas and draft visuals. I use AI for work, but not for my art. 

I don’t accept art created entirely by AI. It is soulless and artificial for me. In my opinion, AI doesn’t add value to digital art, on the contrary, it impacts its significance. 

So there is only one way for me to use AI, as a tool, but in no other way.

Untitled,Zlata,2024

9. Would you like to expand the boundaries of your art, through other mediums such as sculpture, fashion design, film, or other?

When I was experimenting with my character, I wanted to try it using different media. I used clay, made a big head from styrofoam, sewed it like embroidery on a sewing machine, felted it, used a 3D printer, animated it, etc.. In the long run, I still can’t finalize. Maybe I will try multimedia.

By Eva Shema.