Oksana Bula Illustrator, designer and author from Lwiw, Ukraine
Oksana Bula was born in Lviv, Ukraine. She studied at Lviv National Academy of Arts with the focus on glass art and taught herself the technique of water color painting and book illustration. She took part in exhibitions in Ukraine and other countries. Oksana has received awards for her books. By inventing the Tukoni, kind and mindful forest creatures, she created a very charming picture book world of her own. Oksana lives and works in Ukraine.
Website Instagram
What brought you to art?
In short, I think it was the love for nature and mythology. And the long version can be found here on Cornelia's website, where you will find my portrait amongst the Magical Image Makers.
How did you get the opportunity to participate in Cornelia's 'Artists in Residence Program'?
I was asked, if I'd like to take part in the project "Magical Image Makers" on Cornelia's website. I received the invitation to Fraggina after that!
How did you like your time at Fraggina? Did you find inspiration there?
I think I found much more than inspiration. In Fraggina I had a feeling which I have lost in the last years: Being precious! Being an artist is hard, a struggle to find yourself, to find time to create, a struggle for recognition and acceptance. Russian aggression made life in Ukraine literally a fight for the right to breathe and exist. And on top of this, there are so many bad things happening in the world. So you really start feeling unimportant and unnecessary — as a human being and as an artist as well.
At Fraggina, I was not only surrounded by wonderful nature, but I was taken care of, as if I were a child again.
What did you take home from there?
Tons of things. The sound of wind music, the view of grasses and plains, bird songs, echoes of conversations. The cute snail, the cypress twig, and the cone, the luna flower. The coziest star sweater made by "Fraggina’s Dragon Fairy" Cornelia.
