Anna Senik (artistic pseudonym “Ładna Kobieta”) 1988. Kyiv,

Anna Senik (artistic pseudonym “Ładna Kobieta”) 

           I work in the direction of ethno-photography, mostly native Ukrainian subjects, but I am also interested in the authenticity of other nations. I cooperate with museums, collectors of antique clothes, folk artists, members of folk ensembles, all those involved in the preservation and development of national culture.  

In this Eastern Slavic name, the patronymic is Mykhailivna (daughter of Mykhailo) and the family name is Senik 

Anny Mykhailivna Senik (Ukrainian: Анна Михайлівна Сенік, pronounced [ˈanna mɪˈxajlivna sɛˈnik]; born 19 March 1988, in Kyiv, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian photographer, founder of the Ukrainian ethnic style photography, public and political figure. 

Life and Art Born 19 March 1988, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

In 2010, graduated from the Masters Programme of Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University with a master’s degree in finance. 

Link to webpage: http://www.ladna-kobieta.com.ua/

Known both in Ukraine and abroad for her photography. Created over 150 ethnic photoshoots. Most of her works are dedicated to traditional Ukrainian clothing, though she has series recreating the images of men-at-arms of the Ukrainian Warrior Hosts of the past. [1][2][3][4] 

Author of the “Warrior” (Ukr. “Воїн”) Project dedicated to military history, where she, in cooperation with historian Mykola Balaban, created unique visual content depicting men-at-arms from different Warrior Hosts that operated within the modern borders of Ukraine in different historical periods, from the Ancient Rus (Kyiv Rus) to the present-day war unleashed by Russia. She depicted knights and cossaks, UPA (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army) fighters, UGA (the Ukrainian Galician Army), Ukrainian Sich Riflemen and present-day ATO warriors. [5][6] The Project was initially presented in May 2015 at Taras Shevchenko National Museum in Kyiv. It was (and is being) exhibited in every major city of Ukraine as well as near the frontline[7]. Other operating titles of the Project include “Warrior: Through the Ages” (Ukr. “Воїн крізь віки”), “Warior. Freedom Through the Ages” (Ukr. “Воїн. Воля крізь віки”) and “Warriors. The History of Ukrainian Warrior Host” (Ukr. “Воїни. Історія українського війська”). In 2015, based on the Project, Ukrainian Institute of National Memory developed and published a series of posters and distributed them among every military Unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the National Police of Ukraine, as well as sent to educational institutions for their history classrooms. [8][9][10]

In her work, she uses authentic pieces of clothing and antiquities along with modern reconstructions of authentic pieces. Anna Senik works in cooperation with private collectors, museums, professional ethnographers and traditional craftsmen. [11][12] Her works, despite being genre photography, are singled out by the fact that she rarely invites professional models. [13][14][15] 

While she creates her art under the moniker “Ładna Kobieta” (“beautiful woman” in Polish), the photographer never intended to disguise her real name. She explains that the pseudonym originated from her nickname in the family: “My mother used to jokingly call me that as a child”. [16][17][18] 

Public and Political Work In 2011-2013 Anna Senik worked as a propaganda aide for such nationalist organisations as Social-National Assembly and Patriot of Ukraine, and created their propaganda materials back then. 

Active participant of the Revolution of Dignity. 

In March 2014, after Russia unleashed its forces against Ukraine, joined the volunteer battalion Azov as their press-secretary. She designed a sleeve patch for the Black Corps (Ukr. “Чорний Корпус”) partisan unit, which later evolved into a battalion. After the early Parliamentary elections of 2014 started working as a press-secretary for Ihor Mosiychuk, a People’s Deputy (MP) of the VIII Convocation, and performed that function until the end of his term in office. Held media campaigns during Deputy Mosiychuk’s arrest in 2015 and assassination attempt on him in 2017. 

In 2019, started working as a media advisor for the Cherkassy Mayor, Anatolii Bondarenko.

Link to wikipedia page: HERE