Hello Anastasia! Thank you for taking time for that interview.
As I saw on your website you were born in Syberia, right? Tell us about your childhood there please.
I grew up on the outskirts of Tomsk, a small town in Siberia, Russia. I spent a lot of my childhood days wandering in nature. I’ve always preferred spending my time outside rather than staying home. There were so many things to discover out there. In winter I would spend hours digging tunnels in meters of snow. During summer I would pick flowers and catch frogs. And in between all those activities I would imagine my own worlds with fantastic creatures, adventures and drama.
When art did appear in your life? Was your hometown the first source of inspiration for you?
I’ve enjoyed painting and drawing for as long as I can remember, but art hasn’t been a constant part of my life until recently. However I can’t say that me and my creativity haven’t kept in touch this whole time. I’ve been playing the piano, writing poems and short stories, making costumes for my dolls, making up small plays and musicals and reenacting them. I’ve also enjoyed photography. All of these are still my creative outlets. Was my hometown a source of inspiration? Well, yes, because everything around me was a major source of inspiration anywhere I went.
Tell us about your moving to California. How did it happen and how was it like after living in the coldest place in Russia?
My life had changed drastically when I moved to California five years ago and I can’t say I did not enjoy exploring that new life. New culture, new people, new places and new horizons. Even the air here was different, filled with aromas of unfamiliar flora, freedom and promise. San Francisco had its own special aromatic blend to it, but most importantly it had this wonderful studio on the 23rd Street which has changed my approach to creativity.
According to your biography info, you did not feel passionate about the art at first but when you moved to San-Francisco you “found your voice as an artist”? Can you please elaborate this thought?
When I was a kid creativity was effortless because there was no shame, judgement or expectations. All of this comes later and is an unavoidable part of becoming an adult. I have also accumulated a lot of stigma around my perception of the art world. I believed that only realistic art is a valid form of art and every abstract artist is a fraud. In that studio in San Francisco I have tried making abstract art for the first time and it has split my life into before and after.
How did this experience change your artistic views and influence on your art Language?
I am a very emotional and chaotic person so for me this experience was like learning to speak. So now my art flows out of me straight onto the canvas or paper and gives a form to my message even before I know what the message is. I have found out how complex and beautiful abstract art can be and how much more of myself I can render this way. I have learned to appreciate abstract art made by other artists as well as my own without thinking the usual “a child could have done this”.
Tell us please about your mentors there and the gallery you worked in. Do you mean the studio?
I came to the 23rd Street Studio looking for drawing lessons but what I found was the opposite of what I was looking for and at the same time exactly what I needed. I will never forget that feeling when I stepped through the door into the dimly lit room that smelled like history and cornbread. I instantly got a feeling that something’s finally right, a feeling of arriving home, of belonging. There I met my first mentor Michael Markowitz. He has helped me to step away from the judgement and expectations in the art-making and give way to pure uninhibited creativity. I can only describe his teaching method as hands-on therapy where you are a patient and a therapist in one. A painful yet rewarding process of self-discovery and healing. In that studio I have discovered my voice as an artist. I have realized that all this time I’ve been catering to the ideas of my rational mind and have been suppressing my emotions which was making me so unhappy.
You are into abstract art according to your works, right? Who are your favorite artists and where do you get inspiration to create?
I absolutely admire Egon Schiele, Francis Bacon, Clyfford Still and Georgia O'Keeffe. Looking at art in a museum or art gallery as well as on pinterest and instagram satisfies my aesthetic needs and nourishes my creativity. I pay attention to technique, composition and color. But when it comes to my art I just start by making strokes and see where it takes me.
Tell us about the process of creation. How do you come up with the idea and when the implementation does start?
Making abstract art, letting it unfold before my eyes and seeing my own reflection in what I’ve created has changed me both as an artist and as a person. Now I rarely come to a blank canvas with an idea. I just show up to it and let anything happen, I let my subconscious and emotions speak, revealing the painting step by step, allowing it to take any course it wishes and trying not to rationalise anything in the process. And when the piece is done I step away from it and reflect on what I see.
How has the pandemic affected your creative process in terms of goal setting? How did you deal with lockdown and limitations of last year?
Because I was forced to spend almost all of my time at home I’ve started making much more art, so I’ve gathered a good number of works and was able to participate in online exhibitions and artist calls. In terms of goals, well, I never liked setting goals, especially too far ahead. And pandemic simply reassured me - you can make plans and set goals but life will alway find a way to change them completely. So I use “what do I want in my nearest future?” as my compass.
Tell us please about your collaboration with Haze Gallery.
This is my first time working with Haze Gallery and I’m very excited. So far it has be a very pleasant experience. I really admire what they do for the artists.
What are your future artistic plans and current projects you are working on.
I plan on participating in more exhibitions (hopefully offline as well). I’m working on a few series at the moment - Bleeding Love and Exploratory Surgery. Also I have a new project in progress but I can’t share any details at the moment. I will share more details when I can on my instagram.
Thank you!
Thank you for your questions! It was a pleasure.
Artist Spotlight: Ana @nemro_project
Text: Lisa Lukianova @llukianova_