Sandra Poliakov's vibrant expressions of everyday joy
11.03.21 Words by Hannah Valentine

Sandra Poliakov's vibrant expressions of everyday joy

In vivid hues and elegant strokes, the Budapest-based illustrator captures inviting still life scenes and elegant figures. We delve into her work and discover how important colour is to her process. 
11.03.21 Words by Hannah Valentine

The first thing you notice about Sandra Poliakov's work is the glorious colours of her designs. Her brightly toned, gracefully lined figures are full of stylish expression, while her vividly tinted still life portraits conjure up daydreams of outdoor picnics, long lunches and sun-filled days of quiet indulgence.

For Sandra, life is all about finding colour in the commonplace. "It’s a huge part of my art and my life overall,” she tells Wrap. "Just as a writer sees stories everywhere, I notice the harmonies of colour in my everyday life. I like to express this in my artwork by combining colours which, according to the 'rules’, don’t necessarily go together, but seem almost to clash and so stand out to the eye”.

From her home studio in Budapest, Sandra works on her iPad to design her artworks. Making the background a light beige to avoid the irritation of the screen’s white light, she sketches out outlines in black. "And then I start to colour,” she says. "And the fun begins!” Choosing shades and shapes is an intuitive process for Sandra. "These days, I rarely sketch out my ideas in advance. I sit down and create my artworks in one go, figuring everything out along the way,” she says. "The end result can end up completely different from the first idea.”

Growing up, Sandra lived in Israel, Bulgaria, and Russia, and went to university in Barcelona before moving to the Hungarian capital where she now lives with her boyfriend and baby daughter. She speaks positively of this experience of having homes all over the world, and the effect that it has had on her work. "From a young age, I could see how nature, architecture, languages, everyday objects differ around the world and how a place impacts the lifestyle of its people,” she explains. "I think living in so many places has given me a wide visual and emotional library to draw on.”

Despite speaking a number of languages, Sandra prefers to communicate this variety of experience through art, conveying meaning through her vibrant tones, elegant lines and characterful figures. "I’m not great at expressing myself in words,” she says. "I put my thoughts and emotions onto the canvas. Colours, shapes and human postures are my tools and my language.”

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@sandrapoliakov