Arseneva Veronika

Biography

Creative Biography of Veronica Arsenyeva
Years of life: 1988 – present.

Early years: the origins of sensitivity
Veronica was born in Novosibirsk into a family of a clinical psychologist and an architect. From early childhood, she was immersed in two worlds:

the scientific world — she listened to conversations about diagnoses, defence mechanisms, and memory workings;

the aesthetic world — she watched her father create blueprints where lines and proportions gained meaning.

At the age of 7, she began keeping «sensation albums»: she drew not objects, but emotions — for example, anxiety as prickly grey spirals, joy as splashes of golden light. Teachers noted her ability to convey the intangible through colour and form.

Education (2005–2011)
She studied at the Moscow State Academy of Design and Applied Arts named after S. G. Stroganov, majoring in monumental painting. During her student years, she explored:

the connection between colour and psychophysiology (how hues affect pulse, breathing, and time perception);

collage techniques (she incorporated fragments of medical documents, X‑rays, and torn letters into her works);

light design (she created installations with changing lighting that mimicked sleep phases).

Her diploma work «The Borders of the Self» (2011) was a series of 5 panels where human figures dissolved into geometric structures. The work received a special prize for «the synthesis of art and psychology».

Development of her method (2012–2018)
After graduation, she lived in Berlin (2012–2015), where she collaborated with a neuropsychiatry clinic. There, her signature approach took shape:

«diagnosis as a palette» — each mental state received a unique colour code (for example, anxiety disorder — a combination of pulsating scarlet and icy blue);

«text as a scar» — uneven handwriting inscriptions that seemed to emerge from the canvas depths;

«tactile anxiety» — using textures that evoke discomfort (coarse linen, barbed wire, wax‑covered cracks).

Key series:

«Echo of Memory» (2014) — canvases where faces disintegrate into fragments like damaged memory;

«Syndrome of Invisible Walls» (2016) — abstract compositions with the illusion of impenetrable barriers;

«Breathing Under Pressure» (2017) — works with layers of transparent plastic that create a suffocating effect.

Mature period (2019–2024)
She returned to Russia and opened a studio in St. Petersburg. She began creating multidisciplinary projects:

painting + sound — each painting was accompanied by an audio track (whispers, heartbeat, distorted voices);

interactive installations — viewers could change the lighting to reveal «hidden» layers of the image;

performances — she painted in real time under the observation of psychologists, documenting changes in her state.

Main themes:

identity fragmentation (double portraits where faces contradict each other);

illusions of control (images of locked doors, broken keys);

the language of the body (figures with distorted anatomy conveying somatized fears).

Significant projects:

solo exhibition «Invisible Knots» at the Tretyakov Gallery (2021);

participation in the biennale «Art and Consciousness» (Venice, 2022);

collaboration with a fund supporting people with ASD — creating tactile paintings for art therapy (2023).

Current stage (2025 – present)
She is working on the «Diagnoses of Light» series — a set of large‑format canvases that:

use photochromic paints (change colour under UV light);

incorporate electronic elements (miniature LEDs flickering in the rhythm of a heartbeat);

explore the mirror effect (parts of the paintings reflect the viewer, making them a «participant» in the illness).

In interviews, she says:

«I am not illustrating diagnoses. I am trying to translate into the language of painting what people are ashamed to name aloud: fear, emptiness, pain that cannot be shown. My paintings are bridges between inner chaos and the outer world».
Features of her method:

Preliminary research — before each series, she studies medical articles and talks with patients and doctors.

The ritual of destruction — after completing a work, she burns sketches, symbolizing liberation from the experience.

Dual authorship — sometimes she leaves signatures of «patient‑inspirers» on the canvases, emphasizing the collective nature of the project.

Recognition and collections:

her works are held in the collections of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (Moscow), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), and private collections in the USA, Japan, and Switzerland;

laureate of the «Innovation» prize in the «Art and Science» category (2023);

nominee for the Ars Electronica prize for contribution to media art (2024).

Philosophy of creativity:
Veronica sees painting as a form of empathy — an attempt to make visible what is usually hidden behind the words «everything is fine». Her goal is not to shock, but to create a space for dialogue about mental health, where art becomes a mediator between suffering and understanding.