Milana Braslavsky was born in Moldova and grew up in Azerbaijan and Baltimore. She has a BFA from MICA and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. You can see her photographs at milanabraslavsky.com or in person at Hamiltonian Gallery, where she will show new work in February.
Name: Milana Braslavsky
Age: 30
Occupation: Adjunct Professor / Freelance Interpreter, Russian English
Baltimore Neighborhood: Hampden
Obsessive Collections: Terrible puns, useless trivia, and white ceramic teapots.
Currently Reading: Just finished Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland. Slowly working on Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled, Orhan Pamuk’s Black Book, Ilf and Petrov’s The Twelve Chairs.
Coolest Place You’ve Ever Been: I drove across the USA last year. Among other places, stayed overnight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ended up in a BBQ restaurant near my motel, because everything else closed at 8pm. Turned out it was open mic night. Saw some good standup comedy and singers and ate great bbq. It was wonderful.
Hobbies or Leisure Activities: Trolling reddit, procrastinating, trivia nights, board games, local theater/comedy/art.
Favorite Food to Eat at Home: Grilled tenderloin from Wegman’s, roasted vegetables, big ass salad.
Favorite Food to Eat Out: Late night beef bulgogi at Nam Kang is a favorite way to end a long day (the bulgogi sandwich at The Crown is a delicious budget substitute!). The Ambassador for their Indian buffet brunch.
Beverage of Choice: Everyday: Seltzer with lemon slices. / Special Occasion: Extra dirty vodka martini. Depending on the bartender… Rocket to Venus has a good one, or Club Charles.
Political Leanings: Norway, basically
Favorite Baltimore spot to hang out: I really love hiking at Robert E. Lee park (and by hiking, I mean walking at a moderate pace in nice weather when it’s not too muddy).
Pets: I watch a lot of funny animal videos on youtube. Does that count?
Favorite Artist, Living or Dead: Kanye! (kidding/not kidding). Erwin Wurm, Sophie Calle, Santiago Sierra. My friend Lissa Corona.
Movie that Sums Up the Current State of Your Life: Space Jam. I’m just waiting for Bill Murray to show up.
Favorite Bad Habit: Swearing.
Mantra or Favorite Quote: The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made. – Groucho Marx
Image: Still Life with Nectarine, 2012, Digital C Print, 28×28 unframed.
