Contemporary Maldives meets contemporary art

Milaidhoo Island Maldives welcomed Russian artist and fashion illustrator Alena Lavdovskaya to the island for a unique art project: embracing and honouring Maldivian art and culture and creating island-inspired artworks. During the months of July, Alena resided on Milaidhoo, creating classic and digital art pieces that fuse Maldivian tradition and culture with modern art.

1. Alena Lavdovskaya

Having worked with many famous fashion houses worldwide, illustrating their collections and designs, Alena Lavdovskaya is very well known in the creative fashion world and highly respected for her talent in skilful illustration.

Born to an artist family in Tbilisi, Georgia, Alena was surrounded by artistic endeavours, which helped her find inspiration and talent to pursue an art career. Studying in the USA and Italy, she enjoyed international exposure from early on and has been involved in collaborations and workshops worldwide. Alena has worked with some of the most renowned fashion houses and luxury brands such as Guerlain, Dior, Chanel, Lancome, Tiffany’s and Montblanc. Alena prefers creating art from life, adding her style and perception to her creations. The results are unique and contemporary illustrations.

2. Inspired by Milaidhoo

This unique initiative with Milaidhoo is a collaborative project with local Milaidhoo family members. It will focus on creating contemporary, island-inspired art pieces and presenting the Maldivian heritage to a broader audience. The created artworks will be displayed and auctioned later in the year, with the proceeds being donated to marine conservation efforts in the Maldives.

Ahmed Shuhan, the General Manager of Milaidhoo, comments: “Milaidhoo constantly strives to create new and meaningful experiences for guests while fostering local talent as well as supporting marine conservation efforts. With the visit of Alena Lavdovskaya, our efforts to combine meaningful experiences for our guests and to support an environmental cause is an ideal pursuit towards the future. It is always great to include a creative and educative element in our island activities – as education does not necessarily have to be in a classroom but can be hands-on and entertaining.”