KRISTINA BURBELA




IInterdisciplinary artist working with female corporeality, mental health, and neurodivergence.

ART
BIO
Kristina Burbela

Born in 1992, Lipetsk, Russia.
Since 2022 based in Belgrade, Serbia.

Education:

2020 -"Introduction to Art History", HSE,
2015-2017 - Lipetsk State Technical University, Master of Laws,
2011-2015 - Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Bachelor of Laws

Courses:

2022 - 3-month internship with Weld Queen (theory and practice of creating public art),
2022 - 6-month workshop of the artist-ceramist Anna Rymar,
2021 - 2-month intensive "I am in contemporary art», art historian Maria Sedoshenko

CV
Residences:
2024:
- Nova Riznica Balcan, Montenegro European Art Community, Budva, Montenegro,
- DiverCITY, ArtNeuroVerse Biennale in co-operation with HaMecarer Gallery (Tel Aviv), Israel
2023 - Belgrade AIR Paris (in collaboration Yellow Cube Gallery Paris and Belgrade AIR)

Selected Solo-exhibitions:
2024 - “Notes on This”, Montenegro European Art Community, Budva, Montenegro
2021 - «Inclusion of Life» (as part of the "In Progress" art team), Zverev Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2024:
- “Artists Against the Kremlin”, the gallery All Rights Reversed, supported by the DeBALIE gallery and The Moscow Times, Amsterdam, Netherlands,
- pop-up exhibition ‘Prayers. Anecdotes. Toasts’, curator Kate Finkelstein, Ramat-Gan, Israel,
- DiverCITY, ArtNeuroVerse Biennale in co-operation with HaMecarer Gallery, Israel,
- «I see You», ArtNeuroVerse Biennale (curator Kate Finkelstein), Sviva Art Space, Tel Aviv / Design Terminal Gallery, Bat Yam, Israel,
2023 - "Ten" based on the results of the welds-festival "Svarochka Fest», Museum "Gostinye Dvory", Arkhangelsk, Russia
2022 - «New technologies», the School of Creative Industries, Lipetsk, Russia
2021:
- performance exhibition «Creatura mortis», gallery «Buksir», Lipetsk, Russia,
- "Not touching the body" (curator - Yulia Yakubovich), YY modern art fund, Moscow, Russia,
- «I am here and now» (curator - Yulia Yakubovich), YY modern art fund, Moscow, Russia,
- «Looking after Earthlings», gallery "HERE on Taganka" (curator Andrey Bartenev), Moscow, Russia,
- «XY» (curator Anna Minaeva), Moscow, Russia

Fairs:
2022 - ART RUSSIA FAIR 2022, Moscow, Russia,

Publications and Mass media:
2025:
- participates in the podcast ‘Risks and Artists’ as a guest expert,
- publication of work on social media ArtNeurovers Biennale
2024:
- about the solo exhibition “Notes on This”, SlovoNovo,
- review of the exhibition «I see You» in SVIVA Gallery, NEWSru.co.il: Israel news,
- about the exhibition “Artists Against the Kremlin”, NRC,
- about the exhibition “Artists Against the Kremlin”, Het Parool,
- announcement of the exhibition ‘Prayers. Anecdotes. Toasts’,
- review of the exhibition "I see You" with personal commentary on Kistina's works, in the Design Terminal Gallery,
2023 - review of the exhibition "Ten" in the Main Museum of Arkhangelsk, News29.ru»,
2022 - review of ART RUSSIA FAIR 2022 from the magazine "Cabinet"
2021:
- author's interview for the media portal @1703media
- author's interview for the TV channel «Lipetsk time» shopping mall
- reporting with author's interview on the TV channel "Lipetsk time"

Competitions:
2023 - finalist of the publica-art project competition "Svarochka Fest" in Arkhangelsk,
2022 - winner of the competition to create merchandise for the celebration of "City Day" in Lipetsk.

Collaborations:
2022 - design of "Lipetsk Merch" with the support of "NLMK"

Filmography:
2020 - The film "Dream", directed by Boris Rymar, (plays herself).

ARTIST STATEMENT

I tell stories through scars,
nerves and touch.
My practice explores the tension between vulnerability and defiance, through the prism of my own body and mind. I focus on themes of female (dis)functionality, sexuality, trauma, and the social constraints imposed on women’s bodies. My legal background shaped my sensitivity to injustice and underpinned my commitment to feminist activism through art.

Over the years, my work has evolved into a deeply personal yet universal investigation of the fractured self — shaped by experiences of depression, neurodivergence, and self-therapy. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder added another layer, opening the field of neuropsychology as both subject and language for my pieces.

I work across media — from painting, embroidery, ceramics, and assemblage to photography and installation — combining concise visual imagery, sharp material symbolism, and activist undertones. My recent focus lies in exploring gaps in women’s healthcare and the systemic neglect of female-specific conditions.

I create works that are unapologetically raw yet poetic, asking viewers to confront what is usually hidden or dismissed: the female pain, the fractured psyche, the silent battles.

Ultimately, my art is a manifesto of difference — a refusal to fit into predefined categories of “normal,” “healthy,” or “feminine,” and an invitation to reimagine these concepts altogether.

Kristina Burbela
+ 381 629 383 748 (Serbia)
+7 920 520 27 86 (WhatsApp, Telegram)
burbela.artist@gmail.com

I am always open to interesting projects and collaborations.

You can contact me in any way that is convenient for you!