I was born on December 28, 1990, in Kharkov, Ukraine. I inherited my artistic talent from my father, who worked as a tractor driver in the village and never learned to draw. As soon as little Gali learned to hold a pencil at the age of 2, she began asking for more sheets of paper to draw on and quickly filled them with her drawings. During the difficult 90s, my parents didn’t have many sketchbooks, so my mother would only give me the next sheet of paper when the previous one was completely filled with no gaps.

From an early age, I learned to cherish paper, paints, and canvases. Even to this day, I can repaint a canvas several times instead of getting rid of it. From 2008 to 2013, I studied at the G. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, specializing in art and graphics. I then worked for brands, illustrated children’s books, and collaborated with leading Ukrainian publishers. I held 2 solo exhibitions on book graphics.

Despite the war in Ukraine, I live and create in my homeland. In the first month of the war, I saved my paintings in a bomb shelter from Russian bombs. Most of the paintings found new homes in the USA.

My works are in private collections in Ukraine, USA, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, and Italy…

Two Worlds of My Art

My academic training and deep love for classic oil painting are the foundation of everything I do. However, alongside my large-scale canvas works, I’ve always maintained a quiet, parallel universe: my Whimsical Art.

If oil painting is my space for depth, light, and complex technique, these gentle gouache and pastel stories are my heart’s breath of fresh air. They were born out of a search for safety, warmth, and childhood magic. Creating these fairytale illustrations isn’t a departure from fine art—it’s an intimate, heartfelt extension of it. Here, classical skill meets pure emotion to create quiet reminders of peace and home.