Ludmila Christeseva

Ludmila Christeseva (alias L. Christeseva, Belarusian: Людміла Хрысцесева), is a Swedish visual artist with Belarusian roots. She was born in 1978 in Mogilev, Belarus and received a Master's of Arts degree from The Faculty of Artistic Design and Technology at the Vitebsk State Technological University in Belarus in 2001. Christeseva then moved to Sweden and joined the creative team of the Swedish fashion designer Lars Wallin. She also holds degrees from Stockholm University and The University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack). Her artistic research focuses on gender identity and the questions relating to representation across cultures. She actively participates in various art projects and exhibitions in Sweden and abroad. L. Christeseva runs an exhibition space, Artten, in central Stockholm, which is dedicated to women's empowerment and to the growth of consciousness within the community of art and fashion. L. Christeseva's institutional exhibitions include “War´s Unwomanly Face” exhibited at the Swedish Army Museum in Stockholm (2016) and in the US Ambassador to Sweden's residence in Stockholm (2016); “Sustainidentity” at the Belarusian National History Museum (2016); “The Toiles” at the Stockholm Costume & Fashion institute (2017) and at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm (2017-2018). A series of sculptures by L. Christeseva became a unique scenography for the performance of Margaret Jenkins Dance Company (USA) in Stockholm in 2016. L. Christeseva is an art director and was the executive producer for the international exhibition “Ingmar Bergman and his Legacy in Fashion and Art”, which was shown in more than 60 countries around the world in 2018. On July 14, 2018, L. Christeseva was invited to show her installation with “The Toiles" in the context of the harsh and unique nature of Fårö as part of the worldwide celebration of Ingmar Bergman's 100-year jubilee at the Bergmancenter. In 2019, given an empowering heritage of pride, momentum and purpose that honors the example of women's suffrage attained 100 years ago, L. Christeseva organized a fashion show for a Belarusian eco brand Historia Naturalis on Stockholm's streets bringing together a select number of Stockholm locals to participate and thereby support women who are on the way towards their creative dreams—facing both challenges and successes. Christina Johannesson, the Swedish ambassador to Belarus, and Maria Rashidi, the founder of the organization Women's Rights / Kvinnors Rätt, have participated in the project, to name a few.

Since 2018, L.Christeseva is an invited artist to an international female art movement Artdom by Arghavan Agida. In her work, L. Christeseva develops several artistic movements: Sustainidenity, Pinkism and The Sky Over.

Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, Christeseva initiated a global textile movement for peace and freedom “Crafts that unite, heal, and last”. The public presentations have taken places globally: in Turkey with support from the Swedish Institute ; in the United States within the ESKFF artists in residency program located at Mana Contemporary, at Times Square  by invitation of a NGO Razom for Ukraine, in Sweden’s  Royal Armoury museum located at the Royal Palace, and at Oslo Freedom Forum  organized by Human Rights Foundation (HRF)  with Garry Kasparov as a chairman. Christeseva´s activist work was noticed in media and in international artistic research including WMM fiscal documentary film project “The other side of the Sea”, directed by Hsuan Pan Yu (Taiwan/USA) and “In an act of weaving” with Nefeli Oikonomou (Greece/Sweden).

In 2023, L.Christeseva founded Artten Foundation in order to empower women and children globally through culture and education.

Her initiative Yellow&Blue: all Sweden is weaving (Gul&Blå: hela Sverige flätar) has as a goal to unite people in a creative journey toward a brighter future and to facilitate integration for Ukrainian families through arts and crafts. The project is designed on the national level and implies that Swedish citizens and Ukrainian refugees collectively produce a joint textile artwork symbolizing the Swedish Flag. The artwork is intended to mark 100 year anniversary of Stockholm City Hall, which is celebrated in 2023. The production of the artwork and its public presentations have taken place in different Swedish cities including Stockholm, Visby, and Gothenburg and important political events including Järva week (Järvaveckan) and Almedalen Week.

Ludmila Christeseva won Impact of the Year by IHM Impact Awards and is a nominee for Nelson Mandela Prize 2023 and 2024 by Stockholm Municipality. In 2024, she is also nominated for the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize and selected for the Swedish Institute’s Leadership Program.