Ana Tikhonova ’17 sees art as her “own way of communicating.” She began drawing recreationally at a young age in Moscow, never having received any formal training, as per her belief that “no one and nothing can really teach a person how to draw.” She simply indulged in her hobby.

Her art teacher, Ms Lynch, recalls Tikhonova walking into an open studio session two years ago and being amazed with her creativity and artistic skill. “I want to support her,,” Lynch says.

Tikhonova is open-minded with subject matter. She started off exploring Russian culture and pragmatism, but in her exploration she has discovered myths, legends, and other phenomena from different cultures. She now frequently involves themes like monsters, imaginary animals animals, and never-seen-before faces, and always enjoys the pursuit of “other random ideas.” In her most recent piece, she aimed to “sarcastically express the glorification of the arts,” though “it spun out of control very very quickly.”

Lynch showered Tikhonova with praise, saying that she is a “genius” and has “a unique ability where she can both draw and tell a story.”

Tikhonova is currently working on pairing her striking and vivid illustrations with writing to produce a book as both author and illustrator, in addition to her AP Art Portfolio.