East Meets West: Stasia Lev’s Global Vision
Stasia Lev: Connecting Shanghai and Chicago’s Creative Communities
Anastasiia Vasileva, a visionary gallery owner and artist who has established a global art presence, is known by her artist name, Stasia Lev. She began her artistic career with a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design and painted alone for years after she and her husband moved to Shanghai. In 2020, she moved to Chicago, where she founded STASIAS GALLERY, an “artist-run space” created by an artist for artists, and was accepted into the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s MFA program.
STASIAS GALLERY: An Art Space Run by the Community
STASIAS GALLERY was established in the lower level of her Gold Coast Chicago home because Stasia wanted to maintain her involvement in the art world while juggling parenthood. Artists gather at her gallery to share stories, get feedback on their work, and build relationships. Here, artists foster a strong sense of artistic support by exhibiting, directing the presentation of their work, and hosting seminars and group discussions. Stasias Gallery is truly artist-centered, as she is dedicated to building personal relationships with each artist.
Introducing Ivory Gate Gallery in China
Stasia’s latest project, the Ivory Gate Gallery in Shanghai, aims to bridge East and West by connecting Chinese audiences with emerging American artists. She hopes to establish an art residency in China to provide a space for American artists to create, experiment, and find inspiration in a different cultural environment. Her desire to participate in major international art fairs such as Expo Chicago and Art Basel Hong Kong and Miami is reflected in this project.
Achievement and Motivation
For Stasia, contentment and happiness are the hallmarks of success. She underscores her faith in happiness as a true indicator of success by saying,”If I woke up feeling happy, I know I succeeded.” Her story inspires women around the world, proving that with clear goals and time management, it’s possible to balance family, creative work and professional ambition.
Explore Stasia Lev’s work on the web page, follow her on Instagram, or check out her gallery updates on STASIAS GALLERY’s Instagram page.
Oleksii Didihurov
