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A conversation with Anna Bondarenko

 

Anna Bondarenko owns Naughty Muse Studios, a design studio and art café in Haeundae-gu District. She sat down with Daily Busan to share her life as a Busan resident and the story behind her business.

Q. How long have you been living in Busan? 

- Well, I've been living in Busan since 2001, with a break for five years when my family went to Moscow, and we came back in 2014.

Q. Could you tell me about your life in Busan? 

- Well, I like it. I feel that Busan is my second home.

Q. Please introduce your company, Naught Muse Studios. 

- It is a multicultural co-working space, especially for creators. I want Busan to be an attractive point for international artists and for Busan artists to work and create in Busan. And I think it's beneficial for both. I think it's good for Busan artists to be in Busan and have this international experience and for international artists to come and learn Korean culture in Busan while working. 

Q. “Naughty Muse Studios,” what does that mean? 

- It means that muse, which every creator needs, does not always come when you need it. That's why. So, a muse is not very well-behaved. Because when you need it, it does not come. And that's why it came. 

Q. Why did you decide to create a company in Busan? 

- First of all, because I felt that I needed it. I could not find the equipment that I wanted, and I could not find the workshops that I wanted to attend. I talked to my friends in Europe, and they all said, “We want to come to Korea, but we cannot find a place where we can work.” So, I decided to. 

Q. Do you open exhibitions? 

- Yes, we already had one exhibition in December with ten artists from eight countries. 

Q. What are the good aspects of living in Busan? 

- Beautiful, comfortable, familiar. Because I came to Busan when I was young, and for me, it's just my second home. My family went to Moscow, but we could not live there, so we came back.

Q. What do you think about Busan’s English-Friendly City policy? 

- I think it's great for visitors. Personally, I have never had problems. I don't speak Korean very well, but I think it's all about people. People in Busan are kind of open to understanding foreigners. But of course, using English makes it easier, especially for tourists.