- Are you currently working as an independent artist?
Yes. I create my own projects and continue to develop the SandElf brand. I perform at major corporate and private events, participate in film festivals, create artistic performances, charity concerts, and large-scale productions.
- How do ideas come to you? What inspires you?
Over the past two years, my inspiration has largely come from transforming pain into creativity. As an artist, I cannot ignore the war in my homeland. I am also deeply engaged with environmental issues. At the moment, I am looking for a team to take on a major project dedicated to this cause.
As for "pure" inspiration, I draw it from selecting the most expressive archetypes for the characters within a story and weaving them together harmoniously with music. An archetype is a rich, universal image that is understood by people across cultures. It can convey the essence of an entire era, a state of mind, or a worldview. My goal is to find the most meaningful archetypes and express profound ideas through just one or two movements. That creative search inspires me every day.
- This may sound like a simple question, but I'm really curious—what kind of sand do you use for your drawings?
Oh, that's a fascinating story! Every artist has their own secret. I've been drawing with sand for more than fifteen years and spent nearly ten years searching for the perfect sand. There are only about two kilograms of sand on my drawing table. It is a blend of red Sahara sand and white river sand from Ukraine.
But it's not just ordinary sand. I'm like a witch brewing a magic potion—I prepare my own special blend. First, I sift the sand through the finest silk, discard about 80% of it, and use only the finest dust for drawing.
- Do you prepare your performances in advance, or are they improvised?
People often think my sand art is improvised. I'm actually delighted when they have that impression because it means the performance feels effortless—and that's exactly how it should feel.
In reality, however, every performance is the result of careful preparation and years of experience. It's comparable to a dance performance, a musical piece, or a violin solo. To perform a flawless three- to five-minute piece on stage, an artist may spend months refining every detail—and more than twenty years mastering the craft.
Sand animation follows the same process. It begins with a concept and a screenplay—a creative stage whose duration is impossible to predict. Once the script is complete, every sand image is carefully designed. The greatest challenge is ensuring that each image transforms seamlessly into the next. That continuous transformation is the essence of sand animation.
When the storyboard, images, and transitions are finished, rehearsals with the music begin. Video recordings are made and carefully reviewed to eliminate unnecessary or chaotic hand movements—because those refinements are what create the illusion of effortless artistry for the audience.
The final stage is practicing drawing speed. As a rule of thumb, one minute of live performance requires about one hour of rehearsal.
- Do you still have other ambitious goals?
Absolutely. My entire career is driven by ambition. I dream of performing at Burning Man, the Super Bowl, collaborating with Imagine Dragons and Lady Gaga, and one day taking part in the Academy Awards. My ultimate goal is to win an Oscar in my category. However, reaching that stage isn't something that happens overnight—you first need to win a Category A film festival. So far, I have received awards at festivals in California, New York, Houston, and Berlin, but there is still much more to strive for. Those are my personal ambitions as a performer.
As an artist, my ambition is to take sand animation to an entirely new level—to reinvent this art form beyond the tabletop and create immersive 3D performances with a team.
- Have you ever felt like giving up the life of a public figure and simply being a wife and mother?
I don't live the life of a celebrity. I'm simply an ordinary wife and mother who happens to work as an artist. My profession involves public performances and frequent travel, much like the life of a coach or a senior executive. In Ukraine I was considered much more of a "celebrity" than I am in Germany. There, appearing on television is enough to make you famous, and people often treat you like a public figure. In Europe, people are generally more focused on their own lives.
- Is there anything you regret?
Perhaps I wish I had been able to devote more time to my older children during their childhood. But then I might not have become the person I am today. Setting an example is also a beautiful way to raise children. I once told my mother that I believed I could fulfill myself both as a mother and as an artist. Looking back, I think the result has turned out quite well: I am a caring mother and a successful artist.
I also wish I had learned earlier to understand myself better, to reflect more deeply, and simply enjoy life. But sometimes you have to pause before you can do that, and I wasn't ready back then. Now I'm making up for it—I celebrate my birthday with friends in Italy and enjoy la dolce vita. Overall, I'm very happy with my life.
