Violetta Livshen Interior designer, artist Country: USA

Biography of Violetta Livshin

Violetta Livshin is an American interior designer and artist who immigrated to the United States from Odessa, Ukraine in 1989. She currently resides in New Jersey. Born in Odessa in the early 1960s, Livshin fondly remembers her childhood and youth in the city. She had many friends there and attended an art school. She also enjoyed sunbathing on the beaches of Arkadia, where the local youth gathered.

Upon completing school, Livshin enrolled in the Odessa Art School named after M.B. Grekov, where she studied for four years from 1978 to 1982. Under the guidance of her excellent teacher Dmitry Dmitrievich Egorov, Livshin's class remained strong throughout their four years of study. After art school, she pursued a degree in architecture from the Pedagogical Institute and graduated five years later.

In 1989, Violetta, her husband, and their five-year-old son decided to immigrate to the United States. They initially went to Austria, which was a culture shock for them, as they were not accustomed to the abundance of goods available. After Austria, they spent the summer in Rome, Italy, where they joined a community of fellow immigrants. Finally, in September, they arrived in the United States.

Initially, Livshin felt disappointed as her vision of America was influenced by movies and television shows featuring endless skyscrapers. However, she soon adjusted to her new home. Her first job in the U.S. was in a sewing workshop, where she spent ten hours a day cutting threads from sweaters. Despite her artistic and architectural background, she persevered and returned to school, enrolling in the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. She also learned English and took on various jobs in the fashion industry.

Livshin learned new sewing techniques and eventually became a pattern maker for outerwear garments such as coats and jackets. She secured a well-paying job and worked there for several years. When computers became prevalent, she mastered computer-aided pattern making software and even attended programming courses, exploring new career opportunities. She found a position in a large company as a programmer and worked there for another five years.

One day, while in the company of creative individuals, Livshin realized that her work was too technical and not aligned with her artistic passions. She made yet another change in her life and pursued a career in interior design, which she continues to pursue today. She opened her own design company and feels completely fulfilled and happy in her work. Additionally, Livshin rekindled her love for painting. In recent years, she has focused on portraiture, which not only satisfies her artistic curiosity but also provides additional income. She also creates abstract paintings in various genres, which serve as expressions of her emotions, experiences, and fantasies. Her artwork is displayed at the prestigious gallery of renowned art dealer Alexander Herzman in Manhattan.

Among Livshin's favorite artists are Amedeo Modigliani, Gustav Klimt, Rembrandt van Rijn, and El Greco. She was deeply impressed by the Prado Museum in Madrid, which houses an extensive collection of artwork.