AR-Artist Bios
AR-Safe Haven Helsinki Resident Aleksey Yudnikov
Aleksey Yudnikov (1973, Kyiv) is a Ukranian-born theatre and film actor, director and screenwriter, currently living in exile in Helsinki. Yudnikov graduated from the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (RATI-GITIS) in Moscow. Over the course of his professional career, he … Continue reading
AR-Resident Uladzimir Ushakou
Uladzimir Ushakou (Vladimir Ushakov) is a Belarussian art director and founder of the Modern Art Theater in Minsk. Born in 1963 in Tomsk, Russia, his family moved frequently due to his father’s obligations as part of the military. As a … Continue reading
AR-Resident Maksim Shved
Maksim Shved is a filmmaker, photographer and journalist from Belarus. Born in the capital, Minsk in 1979, Maksim graduated from the Belorussian State University’s department of Law and Politics in 2002. He started film studies in 2013 at St Petersburg … Continue reading
AR-Resident Nabila Halim
Nabila Halim is a mixed media artist, born in 1989 in Morocco. At present, she lives and works in Marseille, France. Nabila moved to France for her studies and graduated from the National Superior Art and Design School in Marseille … Continue reading
AR-Resident Prisoner: Maria “Masha” Alekhina
Maria “Masha” Alekhina is a Russian artist, writer, political activist and founding member of the famed punk band Pussy Riot. Masha was imprisoned for two years in response to Pussy Riot’s 2012 ‘punk prayer’, Virgin Mary, banish Putin and recognized … Continue reading
AR-Resident Roma Durov
Roma Durov, otherwise known as 9cyka, is a visual artist. Durov works closely with Pussy Riot, having designed clothes for and produced paintings with the group. In 2021, Durov was caught up in the wider, ongoing crackdown against the punk-feminist … Continue reading
AR-Resident Veronika (Nika) Nikulshina
Veronika “Nika” Nikulshina is a multidisciplinary artist and human rights defender from Russia. She is known for her work as a performance artist and as a prominent member of Pussy Riot. Her work with the punk feminist group has made … Continue reading
AR-Resident Anna (Anya) Kuzminykh
Anna (Anya) Kuzminykh is a screenwriter and film director from Russia, known for her work as a human rights defender and member of Pussy Riot. A graduate of the renowned Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) with several awards to her … Continue reading
AR-Resident Alexander (Sasha) Sofeev
Alexander (Sasha) Sofeev is a Russian artist, activist and member of Pussy Riot since 2012. His art and activism are centred on themes of protest, police brutality, political prisoners, LGBTQ rights and feminism in the Russian Federation. As a prominent … Continue reading
IA-Resident Samaneh Roghani
Samaneh Roghani (1984) is a multi-disciplinary Iranian artist based in Malmö, Sweden. She has a Bachelor of Photography from Azad University, Tehran, as well as a BFA and MFA from Malmö Art Academy. In 2021, Roghani was an IA-Resident at … Continue reading