Aysha Nagieva’s paintings pulse with colour, playfulness, and an emotional charge that draws from memory, fantasy, and the wonder of childhood. Rooted in a practice that celebrates inner worlds, her work explores the nostalgia of early imagination while speaking to the creative tensions of adult life. In this interview, Nagieva reflects on artistic growth, commercial success, and the quiet rituals that sustain inspiration—even in moments of doubt.

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If you could communicate just one core message through your entire body of work, what would it be?

My art has always been centred around nostalgia, memory and childhood whimsy that most adults tend to lose when they grow up.  If I had to pick one core message that runs through my entire body of work it would be this visual optimism that I try to convey through my pieces. I want viewers to look at my paintings and get excited over the colours, shapes and highlights similarly to how children get excited over new shiny toys. Nurturing your inner creative child is very important and my hope is that by looking at my pisces, adults can feel like their excited childhood selves again. 

Describe a piece you’ve created that has held the most emotional weight for you. What makes it significant?

The piece that has held the most emotional weight for me is my first ever large-scale painting that I made for my Degree Show back in 2021. It measures close to three metres in height and portrays a large pink doll looking down at the viewer. At the time I didn’t realise how monumental that work was for my career as it attracted a lot of online interest and eventually got sold a night before the Degree Show even opened. As a consequence, I didn’t get to spend that much time with it and appreciate how technically challenging but rewarding it was to produce it. What makes it so significant for me is that it gave me the confidence needed to then navigate my quickly growing art practice. I went on to produce more large-scale pieces but the first one will forever hold a place in my heart because it was the one that allowed me to fully believe in myself and my creative abilities.

How do you reignite creativity during those inevitable periods of self-doubt or stagnation?

Having moments of stagnation as an artist is inevitable. There are always months when nothing external is happening and usually that’s when self-doubt creeps in for me. I tend to worry a lot as a person and what tends to help me most is looking for creativity in the most simple of things.

For example, I came up with a scenic route to the studio, which always lifts up the spirits. In periods of stagnation I also try to read a lot (usually nonfiction), which kickstarts imagination and is a fun way to source references. It’s also super important to have creative hobbies outside of your art practice. That has been ballet for me recently as I used to dance as a child. Even though it has nothing to do directly with my painting, doing something creative even though you might be bad at it is such a great way to kick self-doubt and reignite creativity. Once you get inspired doing something else it is then super easy to transfer this excitement and creative energy onto your art practice.

Is art created for the artist, the audience, or somewhere in between? 

I believe that art has to be created for the artist first and then shared with the audience. Even though it is important to keep the viewer in mind, sometimes it can hinder the creative process especially if the art is made for commercial purposes. Even though sometimes I have briefs or specific group show themes that I’m painting for, I always try to make my paintings something I would be happy to have in my own house or to look at in my free time. Making art purely for the audience isn’t sustainable because trends and preferences change and shift. I believe in sticking to what truly feels organic to you and going with it.

Do you think art that is created for commercial success loses its integrity, or can it still hold meaning?

Most of the artists I know strive to eventually live off their art and for their art to be their main income. I think it’s quite harsh to deem art that sells to hold less meaning. I believe art can be made with the deepest of meaning and still sell well. As a commercial artist myself I constantly remind myself to think of my pieces outside the art market and its current trends. My art has to hold meaning for me first and foremost and then it can be shared with wider audiences.

Have you considered teaching your artistic skills to others? What excites or challenges you about that?

I have actually been working as a Freelance Art Tutor and Educator since October of this year and it has been such an incredible experience. I tend to work with adult learners, teaching primarily oil painting, watercolour and drawing techniques. I have also been growing as an Art Educator by participating in panel talks such as ‘Contagious Currency: Art’s Role in a Global Art Market’ at Central Saint Martins and ‘Hecate From the Artists’ Perspective’ at Twilight Contemporary. Furthermore, I have started my own Substack newsletter titled ‘The Dollhouse Effect’, which primarily focuses on the realities of being an artist in the twenty-first century. I think the exciting part about educating for me is being able to find different approaches to a wide range of people, which is essential when teaching. Every person has their own relationship with art and the most rewarding and the most challenging parts of tutoring is being able to share your own skills and knowledge in a way that will be accessible and exciting for the other person.

How do you envision the evolution of your work in the coming years?

I have recently worked on a series of fashion illustrations for the ZARA x Harry Lambert capsule collection titled ‘Cutie Circus’ that launched in September 2024. This was the first project of that sort for me and it was such an exciting challenge to embark on. I definitely see myself collaborating more with brands in the coming years and applying my visual language to different sectors such as fashion, luxury or even toy products. I would also love to branch out into 3D with my art in the future, perhaps working on a limited line of small to large scale sculptures. Safe to say, I’ve got a lot of exciting ideas for the future.

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At the heart of Aysha Nagieva’s practice is a return to joy—an invitation to reconnect with the whimsical, emotional, and intuitive parts of ourselves that too often fade with time. Through teaching, painting, and play, her world expands across media and audiences, without losing sight of what matters most: authenticity, optimism, and the freedom to imagine.