Yuliya Lanina

What do you make or do, in plain words?

I make paintings, animations, sculptures, and performances. Often they overlap and inform one another. Art is my way of communicating and processing life. I make invisible things visible and I find beauty in things that aren’t usually considered beautiful.

How did you land in Austin, and why did you stay?

I met my now-husband at Yaddo, an artists’ residency in upstate New York, and we fell in love. He was living in Austin and I was living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Soon after we started dating, we found out I was pregnant with twins. I had just finished my MFA at Hunter College and was teaching part-time at CUNY, while he had a tenure-track position in music composition at UT Austin. Out of curiosity, I walked into the daycare across the street from my apartment to ask how much it would cost. I discovered that daycare for one baby cost more than tuition for one student at Columbia University, and I had two babies on the way. That pretty much settled it. So, somewhat reluctantly, I made the move to Austin.

What I didn’t expect was that Austin would become home. I found an extraordinary community here, built a career, raised my family, and became deeply connected to the city’s arts community. Over the years, Austin has given me opportunities to grow as an artist, educator, and person, and now it’s hard to imagine my life without it.

What is the thing you have made or done here that you are proudest of?

There are a number of things I’ve done here that I’m really proud of. One is creating my first public art project, Blossom Gazes, because it literally became part of Austin and will remain here.

I’m also very proud of my current show at grayDUCK Gallery. It brings together so many things I’m interested in, from doodles and paintings to animation, installation, and performance. It combines the personal with the public and makes inner processes tangible, creating the kind of immersive environment I love making.

Austin is also where I started performing. My very first performance was at Fusebox Festival, so in many ways the city has shaped what my work has become.

What is one opinion you hold about Austin that most people here would argue with?

I don’t really agree that Austin is weird. After living in New York, Austin seems pretty tame to me, to be honest.

Where do you actually eat, drink, or hang out? Name real places.

My favorite place to hang out is Commons Ford Park. I go there almost every day with my dog, and it never gets old. I also learned about tacos after moving to Austin, and since my kids were little, Tacodeli has been one of our regular places. I still love going there. Otherwise, you’re most likely to find me at an art opening. We have so many brilliant galleries, museums, and art spaces here: Women & Their Work, grayDUCK Gallery, Co-Lab Projects, the Museum of Human Achievement, The Contemporary Austin, and the Blanton are some of the places I keep coming back to.

What would you tell someone who moved here last week?

Austin is kind of a choose-your-own-adventure place. Don’t spend too much time looking for the Austin you’ve heard about and find your own Austin. Go swimming, see art, listen to music somewhere small, talk to people, and get involved in something. I think this city reveals itself through its communities much more than through its landmarks.

What are you working on next?

I’m super excited about my upcoming performance, And I Will Always Love You, at grayDUCK Gallery on September 13 at 2 pm. I’m working on it with choreographer Andrea Ariel and composer Aida Shirazi, and it grows directly out of the world of my current exhibition.

I’m also psyched about Waller Creek Nocturnal Garden for Waterloo Greenway’s Creek Show in November. I’m creating illuminated flowers and an animated projection that will transform the space under the bridge along Waller Creek at night.