We could describe Azat's artistic biography in detail, but since he is the founder of the school and the school wouldn't exist without him, we decided to leave his story about himself and his path without much editorial revision :)

— In school, I got interested in graffiti. Once a week, with my drawing classmates, we organized graffiti viewings of sketches that we had drawn in a week. These were my first exhibitions, and my classmates were the first viewers.

Back then, the idea was ingrained in me: if you haven't studied in an art school all your life, then you didn't enter an art училище, and then an academy, you won't become an artist. Graffiti became the back door through which I bypassed this barrier.

Years went by, I was already professionally engaged in graffiti, and people with good art education began to appear in my environment. From them, I learned that you can become an artist without studying all your life and engage in creativity.

During the same period, I felt cramped within the framework of graffiti, and I went to art courses in my city of Perm to the wonderful teacher N.E. Pershina — she became my first guide into the world of academic art. At the same time, I was studying at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, worked as a security guard, loader, organizer, completed orders, created my first business selling graffiti paint, and attended graffiti festivals.

In 2010, after graduating from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I entered the Stieglitz Institute of Architecture and Art specialty "Communicative Design." I must say that I was a different student: I worked hard on subjects that I needed, unnecessary ones went according to the residual principle — this is understandable, because I entered to learn how to draw well and apply my knowledge in professions related to drawing. I was lucky, and my mentor in drawing was A.S. Spitsin, my favorite teacher, to whom I owe a lot and whom I remember with warmth to this day.

Then the theme of drawing a person became the main one in my work. While studying at the Academy, I simultaneously attended additional painting courses with S.P. Mosevich, courses in drawing in digital and mastering graphic editors. From the third year I taught the basics of drawing.

At some point, I wanted a broader scope for applying my skills and a good separate place that would gather all like-minded people under its roof. This place became Skills Up, a young team of artists and illustrators burning with their work.

In the process of running the school, I constantly improve my qualifications with colleagues, go to their classes and study like all other students. I learn from the experience of colleagues from the Academy of Arts and do not miss the opportunity to try a new technique or hone a skill. Because only through constant learning and practical activities can you achieve constant qualitative growth.

I like to organize processes and become a participant myself. So, a few years ago, my colleagues and I created and released in a тираж of 1000 copies our own comic book "Stars" about a boy with a cute corgi dog. We also teamed up to do joint projects on the development of complex illustrations. I don't even mention the large number of competitions, organized festivals, hundreds of events within the school.

I am inspired by people and what they do. More than once I caught myself thinking that I want to draw even more when I see the wonderful works of other artists. I am inspired by bold experiments, uniqueness and my own view of the world — it's cool!

A cool result of student training for me is when he has risen to another level above his previous result, has found his way. I try to convey my love for drawing and creative activity to other people — that's what I've been doing all my life.