Short Bio
Alla’s entire life revolved around books. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Academy of Applied Arts (Russia) in 1980, she worked as an illustrator for various publishing houses in Russia and the U.S. Her works include over 30 hard- and paper-cover books for children and adults. She created a lot of book covers and illustrations for a series of books, including authors such as Nabokov, Kafka, and many others. In 2012, she designed and published a book of her own poems.
After moving to the Washington D.C. area in 2004, she participated in multiple exhibitions at the Strathmore Art Center, where she was awarded as the Best Artist of the Year in 2018.
Her preferred mediums were colored pencils, brush and ink, and acrylics – some of these works are on display here. She also worked in fiber arts, especially wool painting.
Artist's Statement
"My childhood dream of future grown-up life was just to sit at home, read books, and draw whatever I wanted. Sometimes dreams come true – I worked for many years as a book illustrator.
Making a book is like staging a play. You have to be the costume designer, decorator, and art director at the same time. You create a whole new world with its unique atmosphere and mood. I seek inspiration not only in literature; life itself is a big book.
Any piece reflects my dreams and thoughts. I can travel back in time simply by looking through my works – they are my diary."