Lada Chizhova is a self-taught illustrator and author. Born in Novoaltaysk, Siberia in 1991, she spent her childhood in a small town near Vladimir and later lived and studied in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literary Arts from the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow. Since 2022, she, her husband and their two daughters live in Mannheim, Germany, as a political migrants.
As an illustrator, Lada collaborates with a wide range of clients — from international brands and magazines to cultural and social initiatives. She works across digital and traditional media and creates independent artistic projects, with collage being one of her primary techniques.
Recurring themes in her work include movement and expression — a world in constant dance, flight, and motion; play, both in form and meaning; and a sense of deceptive lightness — an escape from a reality burdened by conflict and pain, offering viewers a shift in perspective and a glimpse of hope. Another central theme is diversity: her illustrations feature a wide spectrum of characters in varied forms and states, celebrating multiplicity and difference.
Books:
2016 - “As a map”, Saint Petersburg. Poems from this book were translated to Italian, Latvian and Spanish.
Publications:
2024 - Grafikmagazin, Issue 4/2024, Munich.
2024 - ubi bene, Issue 3/2024, Mannheim.
2025 - Mannheimer Morgen, March/2025, Mannheim.
Prizes and exhibitions:
2015 - Arkady Dragomoschenko prize (short list), Saint Petersburg.
2015 - Dzejnieka Asinis / The Blood of a Poet Festival, Riga.
2024 - "Vibration. Farbe. Fluss". Tamara Aptekar, photography. Lada Chizhova, graphics. COOL POOL (AT), Mannheim, Germany.
I speak Russian, English and German. Feel free to contact me: hello@ladachizhova.com.