Joke Amusan, Standing, Despite It All
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E k a t e r i n a S i d o r e n k o v a
Few days ago in the HAZE gallery we opened a collective online exhibition called Do not go out the window.
This exhibition is focused on global problems that we’re forgetting, because they stay with us permanently, as information noise. All of us got used to these problems and became much less sensitive.
We spoke with artists about their works, the situation in the world and things that we should do to remember despite the circumstances.
Joke Amusan, German-born Nigerian artist living in England
@ibijoke.img
jokeamusan.com/
How can you describe your art in a few sentences?
My art practice highlights the experiences and complex beauty of what it means to be a Black woman. My art pieces are conversational, encouraging women to come together to speak up, share their stories, and embrace who they are unapologetically. Words are an important aspect of my work and they weave through my practice like a narrative, joining everything together.
Can you call the most important authors in contemporary art? Why?
I admire a lot of contemporary artists and the list changes all the time, but I would say the one constant person I am inspired by is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Although she’s a writer, I still view her as an artist. I admire the way she poetically tells stories and addresses situations that often get overlooked. She’s not afraid to voice her opinions and make sure that she’s heard.
I also love the work of Carrie Mae Weems and her photography work which are powerful yet have a certain vulnerability to them as well. It’s as though we, the viewer, are given an insight into an intimate setting.
Joke Amusan, Against The Tide
I’m currently interested in the works of Billie Zangewa and her beautifully hand-sewn collage tapestries which explore the intersections of identities too.
Did your artistic vision change in the last few months? And how?
I would say that while my artistic vision is still pretty much the same, my way of expressing my vision has been evolving recently. While I was at university, I explored many different modes of presenting my art, and for a little while afterwards I felt stuck in one particular mode. I’ve recently become very interested in including myself more in my artworks and filming the processes of “staging” some of my art pieces. In this way, I’d like to show the process or journey of getting from A to B, and the various diversions that may present themselves in the middle of that journey. I don’t just want to share the somewhat finished and polished piece, I want every high and low, every mountaintop and valley to be seen in my work. I’m allowing myself to be more vulnerable and enjoying storytelling in that way.
Why did you decide to participate in the exhibition Do not go out the window?
The theme of the exhibition really stood out to me because I’m a huge fan of speaking up for what’s right and fostering a space where we all listen to one another. I think the Do not go out the window exhibition is important because it reminds us that we must continue to stand strong in our beliefs and not allow the world to sway us. To not allow the obstacles in our way to scare us away from even trying.
What message do viewers will have seen in your works at the exhibition?
The two pieces I exhibited in the exhibition, If You Have A Voice, Speak., and Sharing Stories Breaks Barriers, collectively sums up what my art practice is all about. I initially created them aimed at Black women in a bid to help break down that wall where we feel that we can’t speak up or that, if we do, that it won’t amount to anything. It’s been great to see so many other people also resonate with the pieces. I truly believe that having a united front can break barriers, and the seemingly ordinary conversations that we’re having today can and will shape future generations.
Joke Amusan, This Too Shall Pass – Volume 2
Joke Amusan, Still I Rise
Joke Amusan
What would you like to wish our viewers and all the people in general to remember and never forget?
Being vulnerable is such a powerful and important thing. It is always worth it! Don’t be afraid to go against the current or have different thoughts that others may not necessarily support. Be steadfast and choose to rise again every single time you fall.
Elyana Shamselangeroodi, Iran
@elyana.shamselangeroodi
www.elyanashamselangeroodi.com
How can you describe your art in a few sentences?
Creating digital collages came to me at a very difficult time in my personal life. Finding it almost impossible and crippling to put my feelings, thoughts, and experiences into words, I began creating surreal spaces that brought me joy, allowing me to envision a world where life was simple, even in its complexity. My work was once described as ‚making friends with kind giants‘, and at the time it referred to large animals (namely elephants and giraffes) always being central to the stories told. Over the past two years, my work has begun exploring concepts of fear, joy, happiness, sadness. The kind giants have taken shape in facing the fear of the unknown, the difficult conversations, the scary thoughts. My expansion as a person has resulted in my practice extending itself beyond digital collages, introducing mixed media and new media to allow for the stories to unfold as best they can.
Elyana Shamselangeroodi
Can you call the most important authors in contemporary art? Why?
Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Vera Molnár.
Dalí and Magritte challenged how we see the world. Unique in their styles and storytelling, they each invite us to view everything from a different perspective, regardless of how unreal they might be. The courage to imagine something beyond the surface, created the fundamentals of many great novels, films, and visual art that we have seen, and continue to explore, in the 21st century. Vera Molnár, one of the pioneers of generative and computer arts, as well as the first woman to use computers in her art practice, introduced a 21st century medium to the arts. She is a major inspiration to me as a female artist, for her bold choice of using a medium that was unthinkable in a way that is complex yet stunning in simplicity at first glance.
Did your artistic vision change in the last few months? And how?
Over the past year, alongside my digital collages, I have begun working in mixed media and new media as a way to expand my storytelling. In the beginning, getting used to painting over paint, messing things up, and exploring as I went was incredibly difficult to me, and I think that is primarily because digital work allowed me to have multiple versions of the same piece, without having to compromise. Getting over the fear of losing work, and embracing what would unfold as I went along was a challenge for me; however, it is one that I believe has made me a bit more brave. What I have learned in the past few months is trusting your instincts and the process.
Why did you decide to participate in the exhibition Do not go out the window?
Do Not Go Out the Window highly resonated with me for providing visual arts a platform to be a form of protest against repression. As a woman from a country with many restrictions, especially for women to exist in the society and even in their own homes, we often find unconventional ways to have our voices and stories heard. I found Haze Gallery and this specific exhibition to shed a light on the significance that art can provide at times of personal, societal, and universal need to speak up, unify, and become more brave — and am thrilled to be a part of it!
Elyana Shamselangeroodi, Unlearn
Elyana Shamselangeroodi, Beautiful Ruins
Elyana Shamselangeroodi, Submerged
What message do viewers will have seen in your works at the exhibition?
I think for the unusual time that I found digital collages to be my rescue, I threw my loneliness and its familiar struggles into pieces that made me feel less lonely. Similarly, I have heard individuals connect with my work, empathizing having felt the emotion that the pieces often try to convey silently. I would hope that the viewer knows that they’re not alone, that the struggles they may be going through will make them stronger, that they matter in this world, that this world would certainly be missing something without them.
What would you like to wish our viewers and all the people in general to remember and never forget?
There’s a poem from one of the most iconic contemporary Iranian poets — Sohrab Sepehri — that reads:
Wherever I am, let me be
The sky is mine
The windows,
Thought,
Air,
Love,
The earth
Is mine
This piece has time and time again reminded me that I belong on this earth, regardless of anyone who wants to go against it, and so do you. Live life on your terms. You belong here, you are worthy.
Kateryna Repa, Ukraine
@repaekaterina
katerynarepa.wixsite.com
Kateryna Repa, Evolution Earth
Kateryna Repa
Kateryna Repa, CatDog
How can you describe your art in a few sentences?
In my works in the field of painting, sculpture, and media, I touch on the topic of ecology and the impact of human consumption on it, as well as the types of its consequences for the environment and us.
In graphics, these are different manifestations of the human essence, such as it is, in my opinion, at the given moment of development.
I also touch on the topic of evolution and its manifestations, linking it with technologies, their influence, and possible themes of their manifestation.
Can you call the most important authors in contemporary art? Why?
Damien Hirst is great at marketing, some of his work reflects reality.
Marina Abramovich – she brought performance to a new level, some of her works reflect the dark essence of humans.
Did your artistic vision change in the last few months? And how?
Yes, it has changed, it has become more reflective of the events that are taking place in my country (Ukrainian) and has become more manifest.
Why did you decide to participate in the exhibition Do not go out the window?
I wanted to talk about the real events that are happening now in Ukraine.
Kateryna Repa, Evolution Arch Water
Kateryna Repa, Stingray
Kateryna Repa, Gorilla
What message do viewers will have seen in your works at the exhibition?
The message of humanity. This is the only thing that can help us. And that cardinal changes are needed in the system of government of countries in order to prevent military actions.
What would you like to wish our viewers and all the people in general to remember and never forget?
I want to wish everyone to never forget the person inside of you.
Viktoria Salma, Uzbekistan artist living in German
@viktoria_salma
www.viktoria-salma.com
How can you describe your art in a few sentences?
In my art I’m looking for things hidden behind the facade and trying to capture the beauty of the true self of people and animals, sometimes landscapes. As I truly believe, we all are souls traveling through time and space and each of us has a story to be told.
Can you call the most important authors in contemporary art? Why?
For me it´s Francis Bacon with all the distorted reality in his paintings — his work feels so contemporary to me, especially when we think, what is going on in the world. Adrian Ghenie with his historical topics. And surely Banksy – with his social critical approach.
Victoria Salma
Did your artistic vision change in the last few months? And how?
The last few months showed me even more clearly how important it is to stand for your own ideas and values.
Why did you decide to participate in the exhibition Do not go out the window?
I grew up in Russia — in our history we learned a lot about violence and injustice. Especially against people who do not agree with the regime. But history repeats just in front of our eyes. I could not stay silent.
What message do viewers will have seen in your works at the exhibition?
The mix media drawings from the series „In Memoriam“, were originally started in honor of victims of Stalinism, as my great-grandfather was one of them. They are about the helplessness and the pain of not being heard. From February 2022 they are developed to be dedicated to all people who suffer from totalitarian regimes.
What would you like to wish our viewers and all the people in general to remember and never forget?
We live in a very special time, where everyone has to find her or his own truth and to stand for it. No one can hide behind others any more.
Victoria Salma, Metamorphose
Victoria Salma, From the current project Tonkashila
Victoria Salma, The spirits I called
Pawel Pacholec, Poland
@paul.piotrowicz
www.behance.net/pacholec-pawel
How can you describe your art in a few sentences?
I wish my art to be thought provoking. Symbols that I use are often related to humanistic and social topics. I don’t consider my collage artworks to be very aesthetic, rather I care more about conveying reflective content. I try to fill the gap after C.G. Jung’s words that we live in thoughtless reality.
Can you call the most important authors in contemporary art? Why?
Since my main technique is collage I will mention the greatest in this field such as Robert Rauchenberg, Kurt Schwitters and Raoul Hausmann. They all created collages in the style of dada which is one of the best ways to comment on current affairs. Their collages were uncompromising, they criticized various political and social situations, often in a sarcastic or ironic way. This is an intelligent approach to art for thinking people.
Did your artistic vision change in the last few months? And how?
Present events in the world inspire deeper reflection. We are facing the greatest economic collapse ever and the social changes are very substantial and moving fast. The Overton Window mechanics can be seen very clearly as never before. I try to respond in an artistic manner to most of these turbulences.
Pawel Pacholec
Pawel Pacholec
Pawel Pacholec
Why did you decide to participate in the exhibition Do not go out the window?
Topic that you propose is very close to me at the moment. Those massive changes in the world that we witness are forcing me to get more involved in politics and socio-economics. As the saying goes: “Evil feeds on the cowardice of good people”. I don’t want to be silent in these times.
What message do viewers will have seen in your works at the exhibition?
My main concern in life and art is the human condition. There are in my opinion way too many attempts of aggression, abuse and propaganda. I want to point out those subjects. I try to express my dissatisfaction with violence, as well as social pressure, repressions and aims to limit personal rights.
What would you like to wish our viewers and all the people in general to remember and never forget?
Follow your ideals, have some discipline, do and buy art that you love.
Pawel Pacholec, Absurd
Pawel Pacholec, Freedom
Pawel Pacholec, Body In Metamorphosis
