Meet Abu Dhabi's artist Nadiia Zhelieznova: Where fairytales meet the grotesque and irony with fierce humour

Is it the detective from a cartoon that I watched in my childhood? I can’t remember the name, but I see the features, the moustache, the narrowed eyes. It's him from an artistic lens, with an elongated neck, kitschy shoulders and elaborate shading.

I’m fascinated as I see the different monochromatic hues. I’m staring into an artists world, and I might not be living in it, but I know what a visit feels like.

And that lens belongs to Nadiia Zhelieznova, an Abu Dhabi-based illustrator, artist, teacher, and art director whose work bridges the analog and digital. With a flourish of the unusual found in the usual, Zhelieznova merges fairytale with irony, subverting expectations with her distinct visual language. Her work carries a fierce, raw sense of humour, sparking curiosity about its meaning and inviting you to draw your own conclusions.

Maybe that’s exactly what she wants — for you to set aside the usual lenses, the rose-tinted ones, and pick up a pair that sees the bizarre in the mundane. “I love literal metaphors, simple narratives, and an attentive focus on shape and detail,” she says, explaining her artistic approach. “I often start with a basic idea that could be described in two words, then build a dense visual structure around it.”

A glance at her portfolio reveals a riot of colours and emotions. From the vibrant orange hues of one piece to the lone wolf stalking through the night in another, it’s the expressions that arrest your attention. In a monochromatic piece, a woman with plaited hair and a long neck, tangled in herself, stares out, her eyes piercing.

As Zhelieznova says, “I believe the most interesting things are born on the edge—between naivety and pomposity, illusion and everyday life. I'm inspired by the visual language of pop culture, the forms of applied arts, and the feeling of a ‘fictional’ object.”

The roots of her inspiration

She enjoys irony and a sense of artistic exaggeration, clearly. The roots of her inspiration lie in Martin Parr’s photography, which  had a strong impact on her. “His ironic view of the everyday, exaggerated details, and kitsch aesthetics. The poetic observational style of Gueorgui Pinkhassov taught me how to see light, silence, and rhythm. I’m also influenced by surrealists and filmmakers like David Lynch, where the disturbing and absurd blend with the mundane,” she says.

Personal experience plays an important role too, especially childhood memories. “I often return to them in my work: translating memory into visual constructions, decorating anxiety, and creating a space where I can joke about the serious and invent new meanings,” she explains.

The creative routine

She never enters the studio without a cup of black coffee. That’s a start. Second, organisation.

“What helps me most is organisation — having a clear plan and breaking tasks into smaller steps makes everything less overwhelming,” she says. At the start of her day, she goes through spreadsheets and artist opportunity platforms,  apply to open calls, and send emails. “Then I take care of work-related tasks, and only after that do I dive into personal projects. It’s part of my routine.”

And what if she finds it hard to focus? “I take my laptop to my favourite café, the change of scenery helps. Sometimes I also host “work rooms” in Zoom with my students, where we co-work and chat a little. Seeing others work helps bring focus,” she says.

Nevertheless, she doesn’t struggle to enter a creative flow. “I do love working. It’s actually harder for me to stop and take a break than to begin,” she says.

Adapting art for different formats and audiences

Zhelieznova views her practice as a skill, not just a talent. "If something can be described and structured, it can be adapted. That’s how I approach different formats — with practicality and clarity,” she says. This adaptability is what she needs when transitioning between different formats, from editorial work to installations.

One of her dreams is to create public art, something people can engage with, be it a sculpture, swing or fountain.

Something that becomes part of a home or a city.

Something that’s useful and brings joy, she adds.

The festival experience and client work

There’s freedom in festivals. You feel the rush of creativity pulsing through you. It’s often where artists can return to their world. "Festivals are about the artist—they’re an opportunity to network, gain visibility, and have fun," she says. “You define your own goals. It could be about creative display, sales, fun, or simply adventure.”  It’s a chance to travel, connect with others and share her work. Moreover, there’s inexplicable fun. "At the Middle East Film & Comic Con 2025, I’ll be dressing up as a character and enjoying every minute of it,” she adds.

Navigating the evolving creative industry

The barrier to entry remains one of the biggest challenges for artists today.  On one hand, new technologies make things easier. On the other hand, they optimise so much that the process itself becomes devalued, explains Zhelieznova.

There’s fear around AI, while acknowledging the incredible opportunities it brings. Nevertheless, she strives for a balanced view. ““There have always been moments in history when people thought new tools would kill” art: the camera obscura, photography, Photoshop. But artists adapted, and these tools became part of the process, she says.

As she says, AI is another instrument, one that we should learn to use. “I imagine a future where illustrators split into two groups: Operators who know how to prompt, refine, and finalise images quickly, and artists who preserve the human element, personal history, and context, creating work for more discerning audiences,” she says.

What about the plagiarism anxieties surrounding AI? “There’s still the concern about style theft, especially when living artists can’t protect their rights — but plagiarism has existed long before AI,” she adds.

In the end, it all depends on your goals. If you love spending hours with a brush, no algorithm can take that away. If you need to produce fast and pay the mortgage — learning the new tools might be the way to go. “Personally, I value craftsmanship, experience, curiosity, and humor. And no AI can replace that,” says Zhelieznova.

Working with analog and digital media

Zhelieznova’s creative approach shifts depending on whether she’s working with analog or digital media. “Analog is about process and pleasure," she explains. "I love working with my hands, and always prefer traditional materials." But when precision and optimisation are necessary, she turns to digital tools.  “For me, digital is more about precision and clarity — a tool to execute specific goals. In digital, I use a lot of pre-made assets: my own brushes, textures, templates, and sometimes collage elements.”

In analog, there’s material resistance — no Cmd+Z. You have to go all the way from start to finish, as she explains. “With analog, I let myself slow down, explore, and experiment. I see analog media as a craft — a solid, learned skill. I’m currently learning woodworking, and next on my list are glass and metal. I love that these media demand presence and focus. You can’t cheat,” she says.