Today we’d like to introduce you to Anastasiia Gakova.
Hi Anastasiia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Russia and originally studied engineering – robotics and system optimization.
That background shaped the way I think today: structurally, analytically, and through patterns.
Working with global brands like Red Bull, Dior, and BMW also shaped me.
These are systems built on creativity, rebellion, clarity, and strong ideology – values that influence my work today
My story has always been about observing how people and culture behave.
I started with photography, moved into collage, video, and spatial storytelling – and eventually realized that the medium itself was never the point.
Over time, I developed my own visual system – a way of translating what I see and feel into art, whether it takes the form of photography, collage, video, or an event.
After moving to California, I stepped fully into being a visual thinker and mixed-media artist. Today I work across different formats, using each of them as a tool to explore human behavior, emotion, and the invisible structures behind them.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest part was realizing that I don’t work like a traditional artist.
People expect you to choose one – photography, collage, or something – and stay there. My mind doesn’t work that way. I think wide, not narrow.
Another challenge was letting go of commercial work. It took time to accept that I’m not a service provider – I’m a creator with my own logic. And my best work happens when I follow that logic, not someone else’s request.
Once I embraced my own way of thinking, everything aligned: the projects, the people, and the direction I wanted to grow
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create concept-driven visuals and directed environments.
In simple terms: I make artworks, and I design the worlds around them.
My practice has two directions:
1. Artworks – collage, photography, and mixed-media pieces that people collect and hang on walls.
2. Directed worlds – spatial concepts, scenography, and visual direction for projects where the environment becomes part of the story.
I’m known for my ability to build a clear visual logic: strong composition, symbolic language, emotional depth, and a recognizable aesthetic.
People come to me when they want a project with identity, structure, and meaning – not generic visuals
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For me, the best form of mentorship has always been curiosity.
I learn the most from people who think differently, who challenge my perspective, and who aren’t afraid of big ideas.
I don’t look for one mentor. I look for environments where creative thinking is alive – where people support experimentation, conversation, and depth.
My advice is simple: surround yourself with people whose minds expand yours. That type of community will teach you more than any single mentor ever could
Pricing:
- $1.000-$20.000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/agakova
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiia_gakova
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@gakova?si=QSBb0SdlgZzbFHwX
Image Credits
Main photo — photographed by Maria Motovichova
Other photos — artworks and self-portraits by Anastasiia Gakova
Chrome helmet series (grey photos):
Model — Karina Mirav
MUAH — Miller Viktoryia
Photographer / Art Direction — Anastasiia Gakova
Black & white portrait:
Model — Oleksii
