this is me, nienko ニェンコ
an animation director, cartoonist and visual journalist based in Boston
Many years as a broadcast journalist behind my back (mainly at Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty), I now lead independent productions where journalism meets animation/ comics and new technologies.
I am also a mom of two really cool sons (one of them transgender) who teach me new stuff every day.
I love exploring new pathways toward creating a world that is less coercive, less authoritarian, less ageist, and more tailored to individual needs. I’m fascinated to observe self-directed and unsupervised learning in both human and artificial intelligence. My main interests lie in experimenting with new technologies to express our thoughts and enhance communication. I’m also drawn to human-centered design and innovation that empower digital freedoms and support neurodiversity.
Currently a graduate student in the Visual Narrative program within the College of Fine Arts at Boston University, I got my first degree in English linguistics at St.Petersburg State University in Mordor, studied journalism at Georgetown University in Washington DC and received my dual professional MA in Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image from the University of Amsterdam. I later also earned motion design and animation credentials with the School of Motion and a certificate in Visual Storytelling & Comic Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.