Dr Kasia Ploskonka is a humanities and culture professional with over 15 years of experience delivering time-critical projects across the international cultural sector. She specialises in driving transformation through research, data, insights, and evaluation—focusing on the intersection of people, processes and technology to optimise organisational performance.
Her art historical research explores the relationship between art and power, with a particular focus on post-Soviet Central Asia. Kasia investigates how authoritarian regimes in the region have used art as a soft tool to construct national identity, legitimise power and navigate globalisation in the post-Soviet era. Her work examines the tensions between state-driven narratives and the agency of contemporary artists, highlighting how visual culture continues to serve as a mechanism for shaping the present by invoking an ‘authentic’ past. She has guest lectured at SOAS, University of London on topics including orientalism, visual culture during the Arab and Central Asian Springs and the political symbolism of textiles and rugs.
Alongside her academic work, Kasia has extensive industry experience supporting cultural and creative organisations to measure value, strengthen strategy and communicate impact. She specialises in designing research methodologies, optimising business systems and translating insight into practical, actionable outcomes. Organisations she has worked with include Arts Council England, Art Fund, ArtVendôme, Frieze, London Design Festival, and London Design Biennale. Prior to moving to London, Kasia was born and raised in Chicago, where she worked in a curatorial capacity at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and in a preparatorial role at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Kasia holds a PhD in Art History & Archaeology from SOAS, University of London, with a thesis titled Contesting Convention: Contemporary Art in the Political Landscape of Post-Soviet Central Asia. She also holds an MA in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, and a BFA with an emphasis in Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.