“I’ve always liked art, but I never thought I’d someday be capable of gaining the courage to embrace this passion and make a living out of it.”
Welcome to my world!
Have you ever stopped for a while and reflected on how you were able to get to the point where you are now? Every single event in our lives, no matter how big or how small, has made us what we are today. It shaped our personality and forged our path.
‘I’ve always liked art, but I never thought I’d someday be capable of gaining the courage to embrace this passion and make a living out of it.’
People tend to play it safe - to choose a steady job with a fixed salary so that they’re not at risk of reaching the end of the month and not being able to pay the bills. Are these people happy? The ones that do what they really like probably are, but unfortunately, most of them just work to get paid and not for the love for their craft.
About
Lé was born as Olena Kushchiy in Ukraine. She was raised in a family whose mentality was always rather Soviet: “a reasonable job with good pay and for the whole life”. Lé has never been one to follow rules or conventions – Lé has always been faithful to her own heart.
“I’ve always wanted to get out of the ‘safe box’ where my parents wanted so much to keep me closed. I looked for a different, and better life so that I could ensure a good future for my daughter, full of opportunities instead of rules and restrictions. I’m glad I could make this dream come true.”
“When you don’t have anything better to compare, you think you are happy and you settle for what you have. However, from the moment you discover the opportunities out there, even if they’re just a tiny bit better than the ones you had, you begin feeling the need to seize them.” - that’s the explanation Lé provides when she’s asked why she moved to Portugal.
Her works are characterized by their colours, textures forming enigmatic compositions, and hybrid shapes in abstract settings, based chiefly on her childhood memories, and on the environment that surrounds her in her daily life. Lé uses art as a means of communication, with the goal of encouraging other people to pursue their dreams and to lose the fear of getting out of their comfort zone and taking a chance.
“My daughter is the person who encourages me every day to be better than the day before. I implement this feeling on the works that I create and I hope that you can see it as well.”
“I’m 46 years old, and only now have I gained the courage to say goodbye to my ‘safe’ job and to choose to follow my dreams. And I can finally say with 100% certainty that I do what I truly love. It took me all these years to be in harmony with myself. Time is too precious, don’t wait for tomorrow to start being happy.”
— Lé