Daria Kucherova

Storyboard artist, fine artist, set design

ResidencyGoethe-Institut Niederlande

Hosting periodAutumn 2022

Daria Kucherova is a Ukrainian artist, storyboard artist, photographer, illustrator and set designer.  

Kucherova graduated from the the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture in Kyiv, Ukraine, with a Master’s degree in Scenography and Screen Arts. Since 2010, she has participated in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine and, in 2012, received an Audience Award at the Short Film Competition “Jameson. Shoot & Play”. 

In her work, Kucherova is interested in discovering new visions and angles for viewing quite ordinary things and thereby transforming them into art, learning new visual art techniques and experimenting with different materials.

Kucherova shared these words:

“My name is Daria Kucherova, I am an artist from Ukraine. My family is grateful to Artist at Risk and UNESCO for their support during this difficult time for all Ukrainians. Since the beginning of the war, we have lost jobs, peace and prospects for the future. My children have lost the opportunity to study normally.

Now our family is in the Netherlands thanks to Artist at Risk and the Goethe-Institut Netherlands. Here, in a calm and creative environment, I had the opportunity to develop and create art. I would like to explore the theme of awakening the beauty of life in everything, even in the darkest times. I believe that this is a new stage not only for my creativity but also for our entire family.

My habitual painting and set design has been transformed into installations and conceptual art. I love challenges, mixing different styles. There is no limit to what I can achieve, whether it be film, theatre or painting, but I find something more profound, something to touch the viewer. Something real. For the last five years I have been working on illustrations and storyboarding. After my last job, I worked for an office in Ukraine – it was the “Warnings of war” project and I worked as an animation illustrator. I am currently thinking about what is stable and unchangeable in this changing world.”

Daria Kucherova is an ARTISTS at RISK (AR)-UNESCO Resident at Goethe-Institut Niederlande, Rotterdam with the support of the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund and the UNESCO-Aschberg Programme for Artists and Cultural Professionals.