Hello, I am Lilya, a visual narrative artist and illustrator based in Berlin since 2022.

 

My practice moves between illustration, long-form book projects, and painting as an evolving studio discipline. I work with narrative structures, atmosphere, and multi-layered compositions, developing visual worlds that can hold complexity without urgency or overt statements.

 

Born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, I left Russia in 2022 in the context of political repression and the war against Ukraine. This experience shaped a significant period of socially engaged and memorial work developed in collaboration with cultural and human rights organisations such as Memorial, Amnesty International, and Transparency International. This chapter remains an integral part of my artistic path.

 

In recent years, my focus has expanded toward sustainable forms of practice and long-term artistic continuity. I am particularly interested in urban ecology, coexistence, and large-scale narrative environments that can function in public space.

 

Alongside illustration, I continue to develop a painting practice grounded in attention to color, rhythm, and spatial atmosphere. Working with oil paint has become a way to explore slower visual thinking and exhibition-oriented formats.

 

In 2025, my graphic novel R+R. Liebe in Zeiten der Kriege was published in Germany. Since then, I have participated in numerous readings and presentations at cultural institutions, schools, and public venues across the country.

 

Since 2022, I have exhibited and presented work in various European contexts.

 

Currently, I am open to illustration commissions, book collaborations, and long-term cultural projects.