From nowhere to somewhere, from nothing to everything… this is my story…
I grew up in a very small town called Yangier in Uzbekistan. Yangier means New York in English (more on that to come)… Growing up, I never knew where I belonged. My family came to Uzbektistan in the 1930’s, but our lineage goes back to the land of Tatarstan. I was Tatarian living in an Uzbekistan Republic, speaking Russian. I couldn’t identify myself with 1 thing, growing up in Uzbkeistan, I was Tatarian. I couldn’t identify with either one completely, I was growing up with kids from different nationalities, none of us identified as one specific ethnic group. I grew up not knowing where I belonged too. Because of that, I connected with everyone.
In school I only had two high scoring grades (art and physical education) I was always very good in Art, I loved to draw on paper woman’s faces, profiles and nature for hours. The theory part of learning was kind of hard, was the practical side of learning. School opened my mind and eyes to seeing everything as art. To me Art is not separate from life.
When I was a teenager I had a dream of having a beauty salon and I dreamed of working in the beauty industry, to work around beautiful things and to specialize in making people feel happy and beautiful. I longed for the chance to work in a space where I can create and be creative all day long, revive new ideas, or revive a new looks, to create unusual things that have never been seen before. I always saw beauty in the unusual and different.
I knew art was part of my destiny and my calling. As an artist, I know I can’t connect my art to one thing, I see art connected to everything. Connected to Creation, to our mundane every day lives! As a child, I always knew I was going to come to America. Until this day I can’t explain it but I just knew a new place was calling me.
How I got to where I am and what I learned along the way:
I came to America 11 years ago, (I currently live and work in New York City). One day I was standing in Manhattan looking at the skyline and seeing the people’s regular daily life and I knew this was where I was meant to be. I came from almost nothing, and to be at the center of New York City, this was a unbelievable experience. I knew this was where I could feel free to create. I could see the city as a blank canvas, and how it can be connected to everything.
My journey to America was not easy. I had to take on many challenges. But so far it’s been worth it.
How I have taken what I have learned to serve others:
My goal has always been to bring a type of support and connection to people so that allows them to feel free and beautiful. Through our connection I provide a service that best suits the client’s needs. With my skillset I like to be able to provide people with a combination of aesthetics, art and cosmetics techniques to enhance the natural beauty of the individual.
I light up by helping people feel more connected to themselves through beauty and art. It is not just about feeling beautiful, it is about feeling connected to yourself and to something bigger, like finding your own community. I like to think that Beauty starts from the inner connection to the Self.
