About

Julia-Anna Simonchuk

Credits: Varvara Uhlik

Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Julia has been a Londoner for six years now. She graduated from BA Fine Art course at CSM and recently finished Fine Art MA course at the Slade.

Julia is working with sculpture, collage, installation, printmaking, socially-engaging projects and moving image. Her art practice is informed by research into history as well as personal experiences of witnessing history-in-making. She is working with the questions of power, ideology, memorialisation, decolonisation, hauntology, and time.

Education

2023-2025

MA Fine Art, Slade, UCL

2020-2023

BA (Hons) Fine Art, Central Saint Martins (UAL). 1st Class Honours

2019-2020

Foundation Diploma in Fine Art and Design. Central Saint Martins (UAL)

2017

Short Courses: Fine Arts and Theatre Design at Central Saint Martins and Fine Arts (UAL) at Chelsea College Central Saint Martins (UAL)

Exhibitions and projects

2026

Group exhibition 'Cloud Storage' in M17 Contemporary Art Center. (Kyiv, Ukraine) Link

2025

One-week representation at Women in Photography project (online, Instgagram) Link

Panel talk Negotiating the GAZE(S) by Artisjustis Magazine at Bard Books (London, UK) Link

Conference Mobilizing and Weaponizing Memories of Soviet Oppressions (Warsaw, Poland). Screening of my films Testimony of Chaika-II and Backgrounds Link

Everything Everywhere All At Once, group show of Phantasmal Gallery (online) Link

Women in Jazz Archive, portraits of Mabel Hampton and Gladys Bentley for a digital archive project (online) Link

Slade MA/MFA Degree Show (London, UK) Link

It Fit On The Way Here, Group Show at Barbican Trust (London, UK) Link

Stage design and props for a theatre project Between the Lines at Libreria Bookshop (London, UK)

2024

Slade Interim Show, showcasing Testimony of CHAIKA-II (London, UK) Link

Fundraising auction and exhibition Art Aid Ukraine (London, UK) Link

There is Something New Under the Sun, Slade Postgrad group show at TANK Magazine space (London, UK) Link

Showcase of Monumental Threat and Friendships End at Museum Late exhibition in the context of William Blake and Conflict Beyond Borders and Forms at Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge, UK).

Album cover art design Alternative Readings by Michael Finnissy (label: Métier). Release: March 2024 Link

Group show Re-Prise at the OPENING, Koppel Project (London, UK) Link

2023

Slade Postgraduate interim showcase (London, UK) Link

Event in a context of a project Camouflage. Wings We Desire at St Andrew's Church. 4th and 6th June (London, UK) Link

Central Saint Martins Graduate Showcase (London, UK) Link

Presenting at Central and Eastern European Creatives Network event hosted by Centrala (London, UK) Link

Poster design (based on Jonas Staal painting) for Socialist Anthropocene in Visual Art. Project by Maja and Reuben Fowkes at Postsocialist Art Centre UCL (London, UK)

Showcasing Regaining Paradises at CSM Open Studios (London, UK) Link

2022

I Dance the Other, collaboration of CSM BA Fine Art and Studio Wayne McGregor (London, UK)

Participation at Yasse Saidi's performances at Touched project - collaboration of CSM BA Fine Art and the National Gallery (London, UK) Link

Showcasing Monumental Threat at CSM Open Studios (London, UK) Link

Collaboration on stage design for Hedda Gabler production of ProEnglish Theatre (Kyiv, Ukraine) Link

USU Fundraiser Gala for Ukraine (London, UK) Link

Organisation and performance at a fundraising piano concert Sounds for Ukraine at St Paul's Actors Church Covent Garden (London, UK) Link

Showcasing Altered City and The Falling at CSM Open Studios (London, UK) Link

2021

Presentation at workshop in context of Post-Socialism & Art project at TrAIN Research Centre at UAL (online) Link

2020

UAL Graduate Showcase (online)

Catalogue of Foundation group of Central Saint Martins (online) Link

2019

Group show Painting Beyond Itself at the Bomb Factory. (London, UK) Link

2018

Illustration accompaniment to a literature event Dramgurtok at Gogolfest (Vinnytsya, Ukraine)

Internship in the educational department of the Mystetskyi Arsenal (Kyiv, Ukraine)

2017

Co-curation of an exhibition in the context of a performance of Nadar Ensemble on Gogolfest (Kyiv, Ukraine) Link

Participation in a performance Freedom to be yourself by Daria Koltsova at He for She Art Week at NAMU (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Internship as an assistant in communication at the Unit.City Art Prize (Kyiv, Ukraine)

2016

Personal exhibition in Maisteriya gallery at The House of Artist (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Awards and Nominations

2023

Arts Awards UAL Prize for the Outstanding Student Contribution to Community Award Link

MullenLowe NOVA Awards Nomination Link

Art Jobs: Artist of the Month (June 2023) Link

Interviews and Publication

2025

Polskie Radio (Ukrainian section) Пам'ять як поле битви: Юлія Симончук про мистецтво, репресії та тишу, яка говорить Link

2020

Central Saint Martins Foundation Link