Aliona Solomadina
is an independent graphic designer, artist, and researcher, as well as a creative and strategic art director with extensive experience in branding, exhibition design, and editorial projects.
She specializes in book and editorial design, visual identities, and design curation—collaborating with cultural institutions, fashion and tech brands, and commercial clients. Her practice includes crafting original artwork, custom typefaces, and motion graphics.
Co-author and editor of Znak. Ukrainian Trademarks of the 1960s–80s (2019), created as part of the U,N,A collective.
Originally based in Kyiv, she worked with leading cultural institutions in Ukraine and continues to collaborate internationally. Since 2022, she has been based in Chicago, following her relocation due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Clients
Center for Architecture (AIANY)
School of The Art Institute of Chicago
Albertinum Modern Art Museum in Dresden
Ukrainian Book Institute
Goethe-Institut Ukraine
Kultur Shtiftung Ukraine
Mac Paw
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
PinchukArtCentre
Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna
Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture
Bettter. Upcycling System
Marie Claire Ukraine
Dovzhenko Centre
Osnovy Publishing
Rodovid Publishing
Ukrainian Film Industry Association
EDUCATION
Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts (Ukraine).
MA in graphic design.
WORKING EXPERIENCE
Design and Art direction
Chief designer, Mystetskyi Arsenal.
The National Culture and Museum Complex
Kyiv, 2013–2017
Art director, ArtUkraine magazine
Kyiv, 2013–2014
Designer, Karandash Design Bureau
Kyiv, 2012–2013
Design Curation and Research
Znak. Ukrainian Trademarks 1960-80's
The exhibition at the Mala Gallery of Mystetskyi Arsenal,
Kyiv, 2017
Znak. Ukrainian Trademarks 1960-80's. – Kyiv:
Ist Publishing, 2019. – 160p.
ISBN 978-617-7948-24-6
Between Tradition and Innovation
Exhibition of Ukrainian Designers at the
Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2017)
Talks and Lectures
Spring Speaker Series RISD GD with U,N,A collective, 2024︎︎︎
Roundtable: Decolonizing Ukrainian Design.︎︎︎
The Cooper Union x The Ukrainian Museum
New York, 2023
Shuba Design Conference
Dnipro, Ukraine, 2017
Summer Academy for Publishers
organized by Frankfurter Buchmesse
Kyiv, 2017
Ephemeroids. Twentieth-century in posters
Kyiv, Mystetskyi Arsenal, 2016
Awards
The Best Book Design in Ukraine, 2020 – Grand Prize
The Best Book Design in Ukraine, 2021 – Special Jury Award
The Best Book Design in Ukraine, 2022 – The Best Visual Book
EXHIBITIONS /Selected/
Kaleidoscope of Histories. Ukrainian Art. 1912-2023
(Albertinum, Dresden, Germany, 2023)
Formation of Time, solo show
(The John David Mooney Foundation, Chicago, USA, 2023)
One alphabet and project compositions,
solo show (Artsvit Gallery, Dnipro, Ukraine, 2020)
Furora x PosterWomen (Berlin, 2018)
International Triennial of Eco-posters 4th Block
(Kharkiv-Kyiv, Ukraine, 2006, 2009, 2012)
The 4th United Designs. International Design Exhibition
(Los Angeles, USA, 2009)
Poster Festival (Ljubljana, 2009)
Visual Energy (Berlin, 2006)
International Triennale of the Political Poster
(Mons, Belgium, 2004)
SCHOLARSHIPS and RESIDENCIES
The John David Mooney Foundation,
Chicago, USA, 2022-23
ArtSvit Gallery, Dnipro, Ukraine, 2021
Kunsthalle Praha, Exter programme
by Ukrainian Institute, Prague, 2019
Golden Bee Academy, Kotor, Montenegro, 2016
Centre d'Art Marnay / CAMAC,
Marnay-sur-Seine, France, 2011
Fabrica Communication Research Centre,
Treviso, Italy, 2008
PRESS and MEDIA
Chicago Reader: Times of Uncertainty. Ukrainian artist Aliona Solomadina creates an homage to Chicago.︎︎︎
Canvas Rebel: Meet Aliona Solomadina︎︎︎
Canvas Rebel: Life & Work with Aliona Solomadina︎︎︎
Problemata: Interview with U,N,A CollectiveOn the graphic commission and the Soviet influence in Ukraine. Contemporary points of view ︎︎︎
Creative Boom: 'I only want to make clear visual messages, which may prevent or inform': Aliona Solomadina on the role of design in wartime ︎︎︎
Kunsthalle Praha: Aliona Solomadina: Lightness ︎︎︎
Artsvit Gallery: One Alphabet and Project Compositions.
Aliona Solomadina︎︎︎
AIGA Eye On Design: One Woman’s Powerful Response
to a Lack of Female-identifying Designers ︎︎︎
︎ alionasolomadina@gmail.com
︎ ︎
is an independent graphic designer, artist, and researcher, as well as a creative and strategic art director with extensive experience in branding, exhibition design, and editorial projects.
She specializes in book and editorial design, visual identities, and design curation—collaborating with cultural institutions, fashion and tech brands, and commercial clients. Her practice includes crafting original artwork, custom typefaces, and motion graphics.
Co-author and editor of Znak. Ukrainian Trademarks of the 1960s–80s (2019), created as part of the U,N,A collective.
Originally based in Kyiv, she worked with leading cultural institutions in Ukraine and continues to collaborate internationally. Since 2022, she has been based in Chicago, following her relocation due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Clients
Center for Architecture (AIANY)
School of The Art Institute of Chicago
Albertinum Modern Art Museum in Dresden
Ukrainian Book Institute
Goethe-Institut Ukraine
Kultur Shtiftung Ukraine
Mac Paw
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
PinchukArtCentre
Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna
Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture
Bettter. Upcycling System
Marie Claire Ukraine
Dovzhenko Centre
Osnovy Publishing
Rodovid Publishing
Ukrainian Film Industry Association
EDUCATION
Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts (Ukraine). MA in graphic design.
WORKING EXPERIENCE
Design and Art direction
Chief designer, Mystetskyi Arsenal.
The National Culture and Museum Complex
Kyiv, 2013–2017
Art director, ArtUkraine magazine
Kyiv, 2013–2014
Designer, Karandash Design Bureau
Kyiv, 2012–2013
Design Curation and Research
Znak. Ukrainian Trademarks 1960-80's
The exhibition at the Mala Gallery of Mystetskyi Arsenal,
Kyiv, 2017
Znak. Ukrainian Trademarks 1960-80's. – Kyiv:
Ist Publishing, 2019. – 160p.
ISBN 978-617-7948-24-6
Between Tradition and Innovation
Exhibition of Ukrainian Designers at the
Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2017)
Talks and Lectures
Spring Speaker Series RISD GD with U,N,A collective, 2024︎︎︎
Roundtable: Decolonizing Ukrainian Design.︎︎︎
The Cooper Union x The Ukrainian Museum
New York, 2023
Shuba Design Conference
Dnipro, Ukraine, 2017
Summer Academy for Publishers
organized by Frankfurter Buchmesse
Kyiv, 2017
Ephemeroids. Twentieth-century in posters
Kyiv, Mystetskyi Arsenal, 2016
Awards
The Best Book Design in Ukraine, 2020 – Grand Prize
The Best Book Design in Ukraine, 2021 – Special Jury Award
The Best Book Design in Ukraine, 2022 – The Best Visual Book
EXHIBITIONS /Selected/
Kaleidoscope of Histories. Ukrainian Art. 1912-2023
(Albertinum, Dresden, Germany, 2023)
Formation of Time, solo show
(The John David Mooney Foundation, Chicago, USA, 2023)
One alphabet and project compositions,
solo show (Artsvit Gallery, Dnipro, Ukraine, 2020)
Furora x PosterWomen (Berlin, 2018)
International Triennial of Eco-posters 4th Block
(Kharkiv-Kyiv, Ukraine, 2006, 2009, 2012)
The 4th United Designs. International Design Exhibition
(Los Angeles, USA, 2009)
Poster Festival (Ljubljana, 2009)
Visual Energy (Berlin, 2006)
International Triennale of the Political Poster
(Mons, Belgium, 2004)
SCHOLARSHIPS and RESIDENCIES
The John David Mooney Foundation, Chicago, USA, 2022-23
ArtSvit Gallery, Dnipro, Ukraine, 2021
Kunsthalle Praha, Exter programme
by Ukrainian Institute, Prague, 2019
Golden Bee Academy, Kotor, Montenegro, 2016
Centre d'Art Marnay / CAMAC,
Marnay-sur-Seine, France, 2011
Fabrica Communication Research Centre,
Treviso, Italy, 2008
PRESS and MEDIA
Chicago Reader: Times of Uncertainty. Ukrainian artist Aliona Solomadina creates an homage to Chicago.︎︎︎
Canvas Rebel: Meet Aliona Solomadina︎︎︎
Canvas Rebel: Life & Work with Aliona Solomadina︎︎︎
Problemata: Interview with U,N,A CollectiveOn the graphic commission and the Soviet influence in Ukraine. Contemporary points of view ︎︎︎
Creative Boom: 'I only want to make clear visual messages, which may prevent or inform': Aliona Solomadina on the role of design in wartime ︎︎︎
Kunsthalle Praha: Aliona Solomadina: Lightness ︎︎︎
Artsvit Gallery: One Alphabet and Project Compositions.
Aliona Solomadina︎︎︎
AIGA Eye On Design: One Woman’s Powerful Response
to a Lack of Female-identifying Designers ︎︎︎
︎ alionasolomadina@gmail.com
︎ ︎