CASS ART interview with London Invitational 2025 Winner and Westbury Studio Artist, ASYA DUDKO

Congratulations on your win, Asya! Your work is deeply influenced by the mystery of life and the unknown — how do you decide which hidden story or concept will take shape in your next piece, and at what moment do you feel the story begins to reveal itself through the form?

Life is full of mystery, and it is this sense of the unknown that fascinates and inspires my art. Through my sculptures, I explore contradictions: things that cannot exist together in reality but find harmony within my work. My characters embody the belief that anything is possible: a Snowball Collector who preserves the snowballs and keeps them forever, an Unknown Soldier who achieves the impossible, or Moonlight Birds that carry messages from distant worlds.

Each sculpture carries its own concept and story, often revealing itself gradually. Sometimes the idea arrives fully formed; other times, it takes shape during creation, as if the work itself begins to lead the process. For me, the visual form is the key to unlocking meaning, yet every viewer brings their own interpretation. My goal is to touch hearts and awaken emotions that lie quietly within the soul.

Your practice blends figurative sculpture, relief panels, and painting, often using unique materials such as Paperclay and vintage objects. How does working across dimensions and materials help you express layers of meaning or symbolism within your narrative themes?

Though these forms differ in medium and dimension, they all share a figurative essence and a stylised interpretation of reality. Working across materials allows me to explore my ideas more deeply and develop the stories behind each artwork. The theme of family, for example, began as a sculpture series and later evolved into larger relief panels. My experience with oils and acrylics has shaped the unique finishing technique I now use on my Paperclay sculptures, which are modelled over wire armature and brought to life through texture, colour, and form.

Coming from a rich Russian cultural background and later building your creative career in the UK, how have these two worlds fused in your artistic voice — and do certain colours or motifs speak differently from each culture?

My cultural background has always been a source of inspiration for me. Objects such as keys, wheels, and bells, as well as motifs like birds, fish with human faces, and winged figures, are all drawn from Russian legends and fairy tales. These motifs symbolise spiritual and eternal ideas, complemented using blue and its contrast with red: colours that have traditionally represented divinity and the heavenly realm in Russian culture. While I recognise that each culture has its own symbols and interpretations, I believe that these eternal concepts are universal and speak for themselves.

You’ve not only developed award-winning techniques but have also taught artists at different stages of their journey. How has teaching others shaped or challenged your own practice, particularly when exploring concepts of mystery, personal symbolism, and storytelling in sculpture?

I believe that teaching and learning are two inseparable parts of the same process: one of continual growth and enrichment within your chosen field. When teaching, I strive to understand my students’ needs and to learn from their unique ways of discovering something new. I can learn about my students’ cultural backgrounds, which in turn enriches my own artistic practice. I teach group and one-to-one sessions for beginners and improvers who wish to explore the art of relief sculpture or develop their sculpting skills. The Westbury Arts Centre in Milton Keynes hosts these sessions—where all the creative magic happens.

Read interviews with all London Invitational 2025 Winners here: ARTIST INTERVIEWS: WINNERS OF THE LONDON INVITATIONAL 2025 - Cass Art