Anna Andriianova

Anna Andriianova hails from Russia and is currently an International Direct student pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, while also being a part of the Museum Studies Certificate program. She brings an eclectic set of skills to Adelphi University as an artist herself.  When speaking of why she chose her major, Anna reflected saying, “First and foremost, I enjoy art in general. I always felt I can’t be an artist without knowing the background and the histories surrounding the discipline.”

She is mostly a portrait painter and began her artistic journey painting the portraits of actors in a theater she volunteered with in Russia. Anna came up with the idea of gifting her work to them after their performances. She states, “Many people give flowers or maybe some sweets as presents; I felt like I can share my art as well as bring some positive emotions to the recipients with these pieces.” In about three years, she made more than 150 portraits. Anna went into the project with the idea of making the works in the style of a famous painter. Some are in the style of Van Gough and other American impressionists as well. Anna says, “For me, looking at the old paintings of the great masters is a way of learning how to hone my own skills. That’s my own personal connection to art history.”

Anna also enjoys her time outside of classes saying, “I absolutely love Adelphi’s community, especially Adelphi’s international community. They are very welcoming, and even though we’re all from different cultures, we have so much in common. They also help me acclimate into the academic community. The American students here are also incredibly nice.” When speaking of her plans after graduation, Anna hopes to work with museums in exhibitions and to continue to share art with the world. She then added, “Maybe sharing my own art as well…so that it stays in the community. In addition, I can also help to preserve the histories we have with some of my efforts in the field."