Anastasia Hrobova is a Ukrainian-born artist whose work explores memory, identity, and the psychological tension between presence and absence. After fleeing the Russian invasion, she found refuge in art, using painting as a way to process loss, displacement, and the ever-shifting nature of self. Her work blends abstraction and surrealism, often incorporating layered textures, glazes, and fragmented text to reflect themes of transformation and erasure. With a background in psychology, she is deeply interested in the ways human emotions shape perception. Her paintings, rich with movement and distortion, serve as both personal explorations and invitations for viewers to engage with their own subconscious. Now based in the U.S., she continues to push the boundaries of abstraction, exhibiting her work in galleries and juried shows.

I paint to capture what seems to fade: memories slipping away, identities unraveling, emotions that keep transforming. My work often explores themes of distortion, erasure, and transformation, often blurring the line between presence and absence. I’m drawn to the idea that nothing stays the same, that identity and memory are always shifting, breaking apart, or reforming into something else. I work instinctively, layering textures, glazes, and fragmented text to create pieces that feel like fading thoughts or dreams on the verge of disappearing. I don’t strictly plan my paintings. I let them evolve, change, and surprise me. My goal isn’t to provide answers but to lead to questions —about what’s real, what’s forgotten, and what slipped away. For me, painting is both a release and a search for understanding, and I want my work to make others pause, reflect, and feel something real.