Brussels’ Gallery Gabrichidze is hosting some talented young artists in their latest exhibition, Krakozjabra.
Nika Belianina is a petite, almost elfin young Moscow girl, now living in Toronto where she works as an artist and filmaker. I explain that it’s traditional in Brussels to interview people over a beer so we head to the Grand Place, pausing only to photograph tourists taking pictures of each other.
Nika Belianina and one of her Christabel photographs
We settle in the pub and order the beer. I suggest a regular glass. Nika looks up from the menu and says, “No. I think we need a large one”. The beer arrives and Nika can just about hold the glass in one hand. She looks perfectly satisfied.
“How did you end up in Toronto?” She looks confused by the question and says that she became Canadian by mistake.
What? How did that happen? “My parents moved there After I had been there they gave my the documents for Canadian residency, the week before I was going to go back to Russia, I had all my documents stolen, so I stayed”.
Does she like living in Toronto? “Not really, it’s got no history, It’s a real challenge to find something interesting”.
Well, I should have expected something a bit left-field. Nika’s photographs are often haunting and disturbing. Part of that is that there’s always some warmth, some affection or tenderness in her work.
She’s exhibiting some pictures, printed on canvas, from her “Christabel” series, ( see them here), where an abstract double headed creature explores abandoned buildings, searching for something, looking at this strange new world.”There’s parts of me in these pictures, the lonesome creature is thrown into its own different world and he’s searching for his voice, trying to be heard.”
Her degree in psychology influences her as does nature and bringing these together produces something interesting and special. Although some of these themes sound depressing, Nika describes herself as a ‘happy person’ and has an infectious laugh.
Making a living is difficult, especially with the current crisis, both for a lack of clients and cutbacks in grant funding, but she remains hopeful that people will always turn to art and art will find its way.In the future, she is developing a film about post global warming society.
Nika’s website Has plenty of her photography and films
