Olga
Tuzova
I am convinced of the power of light and the high degree of responsibility of the light designer. Basic principle: combining the science of light for health and standards as well as theatrical effects to make projects interesting, healthy, and energy-efficient, improving the quality of life.
I started doing lighting design in Russia, in 2010. My main teacher is a 96-year-old grandmother who can feel the light and live in harmony with herself, without pills and doctors. In 2015, I created my first online school for designers. In 2016, I came to Milan to receive my Master’s degree in Politecnico di Milano. After it, I went to work in Ireland. Upon returning from Ireland, I began working online on projects around the world, participated in conferences, and wrote scientific articles.
In 2019, I became an ambassador of the Women in lighting project in Russia and a member of the Dark-Sky Association (IDA) community. In 2020, I opened my own lighting design studio in Milan. During the pandemic, I began conducting a series of interviews with lighting designers online, holding meetings, and organizing masterminds of the professional community. Since the beginning of 2022, I began to actively expand the studio’s activities, attracting agents in different countries. I am convinced that anyone can become unique and irreplaceable if following themselves. There is no universal path to success, but all the answers are inside us.
Why Did You Want To Be A Silhouette Awards Mentor?
Everything I’ve done in my life since 2010 has been dedicated to light. There was no good education in lighting design in my country. When I came to study in Italy, there were about 30 people in my group. They were all talented guys, and they all wanted to stay in Italy and do light. Unfortunately, most of them did not succeed. I have seen excellent specialists who have lost faith in themselves. I saw unique professionals who reached a certain level and did not know what to do next. Our specialty, despite everything, remains still very closed. It is not so easy to find a coach who will guide you along the way as a businessman or help you grow in your specialty. I believe that I myself need to grow in many ways, and I would be insanely happy to find my mentor in the world of lighting design who would lead me. But what I know for sure is that there are no borders, that you can be from any country and do whatever you want. You can work in different countries, you can do what you love, relying on your strength, and not remembering your weaknesses. That’s what I want to bring to the program – faith in yourself, in your strength, in an infinite number of ways and possibilities. Most importantly, in the infinite possibilities of yourself. I will be happy to pass this on to anyone who may need it right now.