A Chat with Kateryna Serdiuk, Founder at Art Discovery App: Subjektiv

Tell us about Subjektiv

Subjektiv is a platform I created to make the art world more human. It’s global, digital, and rooted in emotional connection. At its simplest, Subjektiv is an app and online space where people can discover, buy, sell, and live with art. But what really sets it apart is that we’ve built it around how people feel, not just what they can afford or what’s trending.

For artists, it’s non-exclusive and fair. They can use our tools to sell directly to collectors, keep more of what they earn, and get lifetime royalties when their work is resold. For buyers, we’ve created something more personal than a shopping cart. The app lets you browse based on mood, discover what you’re drawn to, and even write your own reflections. Every artwork has its own journey, and every buyer becomes part of that story.

We also handle the practical side – global logistics, payments, even taxes. You can buy with confidence and full transparency. The money go to escrow until you confirm the artwork is in your hands. Once you are an owner, artwork is added to your collection, which means you become its custodian, continuing to tell its story until it finds a new Subjektiv owner if such is its destiny.

Subjektiv isn’t about turning art into a commodity. It’s about helping people connect with beauty, train their own judgement, and surround themselves with pieces that reflect who they are. This is art for living, not just collecting.

What inspired you to create it, and what makes it different?

I didn’t come from the art world. I came from banking. For ten years, I worked in high-stakes finance, leading $25 billion in structured transactions across Europe and the Middle East. But when war broke out in Ukraine, I left that world behind. I spent a year helping the Ministry of Health overhaul medical procurement systems during a time of national crisis. That experience changed everything. It taught me that even the most rigid systems can transform. That we’re capable of building new ways of doing things – if the reason is strong enough.

After that, I started asking questions. How do we learn to make good decisions – in life, in politics, in business? I kept coming back to aesthetics. The ability to say yes or no to what you see. To feel what moves you. That instinct is vital. But it’s not taught – it’s trained. And art is how we train it.

The art world, as I saw it, didn’t reflect this. It was locked away behind price tags and institutions. So I built Subjektiv as a place where art could be encountered, not just bought. Where people could explore, reflect, and decide for themselves what they value. We’ve created mood-based discovery, emotional storytelling, fair compensation models – everything designed to make art personal, not performative. That’s what makes it different.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of launching something?

Start something only if you truly can’t help yourself. Not because it looks exciting, or because you want to be your own boss. Those reasons won’t carry you when it gets hard – and it will get hard.

There’s this myth that founding a company gives you freedom. In truth, it’s the opposite. You end up belonging not to yourself, but to the idea. To your team. To your users. The boundaries blur, and the mission takes over. So unless the mission means everything to you, don’t start.

Also, don’t do it for the money. There are more efficient ways to make a return on your time and risk. Most startups fail. Even when they succeed, the reward isn’t instant. If your motivation is external – funding, headlines, validation – it won’t be enough.

What will keep you going is obsession. A quiet kind, not just energy or hype. Something that wakes you up at 3am. Something that feels so obvious and necessary you can’t believe it doesn’t exist already. That’s the feeling to follow. If you have that, then maybe you’re meant to build something.

What excites you most about Subjektiv?

It’s the small, quiet moments. Watching someone hang a piece of art in their home, seeing how their space changes. Getting a message from a buyer saying they keep coming back to look at one particular piece. Seeing artists upload videos of their process and collectors respond with reflections of their own. These are the sparks. They remind me why we’re doing this.

I also love how we’re proving a new model can work. Subjektiv blends deep infrastructure with emotion. We’ve built a system that’s secure and transparent – escrow payments, tracked provenance, resale royalties – but it never loses sight of the human connection. That’s rare in tech, and even rarer in the art world.

Then there’s the diversity. The platform is filled with artists from places that often get overlooked – Ukrainian towns, Lisbon studios, refugee camps. We’re creating a space where art isn’t just decorative, but deeply lived. Where collectors aren’t just buying – they’re connecting, contributing, discovering what moves them.

It excites me that we’ve made space for all of this, and that we’re just getting started.

How has the platform evolved since launch?

We’ve come a long way in a short time. Subjektiv started as a simple idea: remove the barriers between people and art. But that’s evolved into a fully-fledged ecosystem. We now support both public and private sales, mood-based discovery, resale with royalties, and global shipping. It’s not just a marketplace – it’s a layered, living platform.

One of the things I’m most proud of is how we’ve listened to users. Artists told us they wanted flexibility, so we built a dual sales model: they can either join our curated discovery feed or sell privately via QR codes and personal links. That means they keep more control and more of the profits.

We’ve also developed tools that let buyers write reflections, track ownership, and even join artist-led events. The whole idea is to create a relationship with art that goes beyond a transaction. And for our artist community – many of whom are emerging or from underrepresented regions – that connection is invaluable.

On the logistics side, we’ve made it possible for someone to buy a piece from a small town in Eastern Europe and have it arrive in New York within days. That reach is crucial.

But really, the biggest shift has been cultural. We’re starting to see a new kind of collector emerge – one who values presence over prestige, and emotional resonance over status.
That’s the evolution we’re here for.

What can we expect from Subjektiv next?

We’re building towards a more emotionally intelligent, globally connected art world. That means better discovery tools – ones that understand how people feel, not just what they click. We’re developing features that let you browse by mood, life moment, or even sensory tone, not just medium or style.

We’re also bringing in experts – critics, curators, artists – who can share their reflections and help others navigate their taste. These profiles will be monetised, so they’re rewarded for the value they add. In a world drowning in noise, trusted voices matter.

The secondary market is a big focus too. We’re launching a system where collectors can resell works when they’re ready for a change, and the original artist still receives royalties. It makes collections more dynamic and adds a new layer of sustainability.

Beyond that, we’re growing our partnerships with cultural institutions, grassroots communities, and tech collaborators. Whether that’s AR previews, artist residencies, or curated offline events – we want Subjektiv to be everywhere people encounter art.

Ultimately, my hope is that Subjektiv becomes the organising principle of a new kind of art economy. One that’s fairer, more reflective, and more human.