/INTERVIEW

Text: I r i n a  R u s i n o v i c h
All photos are provided by the authors of the HAZE Gallery

Interview with Marina WitteMann

What artwork/series of works do you find pivotal for your career? 

It was a series of colour fields made of paper that has become a turning point for my career as an artist. Prior to that, I analyzed every work of mine considering it to be a new step of development. Thus, my creative self evolved and infused with each of my artworks. However, even I was amazed by what happened at the very beginning of this series.

Ever since I can remember it, I have enjoyed a special relationship with colour. It’s called synesthesia: when sensations emanating from one sense organ are also manifested in another one, for example, seeing the pain in colour or feeling the shape of a cold. Therefore, my art revolved around this. Before, I didn’t understand why it happened. The desire to analyze, reproduce, compare the colour with form and material prompted me to do new experiments. 

I love oil paints for its texture and colour purity, but this has never been enough for me. I felt a need to go beyond the canvas, to feel the colour in the space. In sculpture, the shape interferes with the colour, that’s why I opted for it. The way I work now allows me to use paint and other materials as they are, leaving out the original colour and the history of these objects. That’s how I translate the emotions I experience daily through artistic materials.  

How has being a woman affected your career?

Surprisingly, I have always enjoyed being a woman, though perfectly realizing that women tend to think in a too complicated way and yield to emotions. All that prevents women from discarding the unnecessary and focusing on what is really important. I cultivated those qualities myself, so now I can control my emotions, while still enjoying my feminine essence. I seek to express the tenderness and softness of female nature in the floral and gentle shape of my art objects. The paper structure catches the eye and lets one penetrate the surface at the same time, just like the woman nature implies.

What makes a great artist?

It seems to me that an artist becomes great when their art begins to resonate in the souls and the minds of other people. It’s just the way it works in all spheres of life. A great artist is capable of creating a piece that is equally simple and complex. For example, imagine a work where a composition reveals through the material, while the material, in turn, establishes many associations the viewer might recognize. The colour grabs attention and starts a discussion; the texture excites and awakens a desire to touch the piece, to communicate with it physically… From the work, the viewer gains a longstanding experience and a sense of time. Therefore, a great artwork is inevitably modern, as it reveals the timeless conditions of being alive. 

Which other great women artists inspire you and why?

This list is endless. And by the way, I don’t divide artists into men and women. Primarily, I look at the object or the non-material result of work and only then, will I read the author’s story. I can still highlight a few of my favourite female artists and just women with a capital letter W. A great woman who inspires me is not just a woman who paints with oil or makes sculptures. For me, it’s a creative being full of willpower, authenticity, and capacity to communicate with people and life. 

Here I would like to mention Matrona Moskovskaya as one of my sources of inspiration. Saint Matrona was blind and lost the ability to walk early in life. With all the hardships, she was so strong in spirit that she kept working wonders for people. So those miracles for me are what artists should strive for in their artistic practice. In general, being an artist and a saint at the same time, like Andrei Rublev, for example, seems to me an especially fruitful combination (and history proves it). 

Another Russian artist who inspires me is the ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. Her energy, passion, hard work, strong character, elegance and progressive thinking are what I am guided by in my work. 

Choreographer Sharon Eyal is no less inspiring for me. When I first saw her Untitled black performance in Shanghai, it felt like a shock and an extravaganza. I was struck by the incredible naturalness of the movements the troupe did on stage. Music, costumes — everything looked as if it were taken from the future. It seems to me a real work of art should be just like that: progressive, challenging, highly material, and sensual.

In general, I tend to consider my contemporaries while searching for inspiration. For example, artist Phyllida Barlow is like a teacher to me now. If I have a question, I will certainly look for an answer in Barlow’s works. I love the simplicity of her materials and the way they’re interpreted. The completed work should be viewed not with the eyes, but with the soul. To be able to ‘read’ art objects that have been created on a sensory level, one needs to use their sixth sense. I feel a strong connection with Russian culture here: I guess we, Russians, often communicate this way. 

Last but not the least, I should mention artist Marina Abramovic. I will never stop learning from her. The way she communicates with the viewer and reaches catharsis, the mediums she uses in art, all that captivates my attention. For me, it’s about feelings, soul, experience, and in general the development of the sixth sense.

What advice would you give to emerging female artists entering the art world?

— Take yourself seriously and enjoy the process. If you don’t believe in yourself, then no one will, why should they? In art, you can lie, neither to yourself nor to the viewer; if someone senses a catch, the work won’t be recognized as a true art. At the same time, if you don’t experience pleasure from doing art, you will hardly be able to engage others with your ideas.

— Listen to yourself and constantly work, then everything falls into place.

— Always try new things. And reflect on it.

— Compare yourself with contemporaries and geniuses and draw conclusions: has your work differed; if so, for better or worse etc. 

— Continue to doubt, otherwise you may either remain ignorant or stop your search too early.

Interview with Elena Fuks (Lentov)

What artwork/series of works do you find pivotal for your career? 

I wouldn’t call it pivotal, however, my decision to enter the sphere of art was related to this particular piece. It was the first artwork I sold: a watercolor on an A5 sheet of paper portraying a little girl in the style of Yoshitomo Nara. One day, I was invited to participate in the big student fair of contemporary art at the British Higher School of Art and Design. Among the participants, I was the only non-student; full of hesitation, I was in the process of choosing my future career at the time. Nevertheless, I had all of my artworks sold by the end of the fair.

How has being a woman affected your career?

I find it really difficult to answer this question without having an experience of being a male artist. I can’t say for sure, but female art seems more emotional and sincere to me. 

What makes a great artist?

A great mind and an unquenchable inspiration.

Which other great women artists inspire you and why?

To be honest, I don’t have idols and normally I don’t pay attention to the gender of the artist either. I’m rather inspired by the art piece itself and the emotions it conveys. For me, the pure source of inspiration is hidden in daily life, in the stories and personalities of ordinary people… So you can be the first to transfer these feelings into the realm of art. 

What advice would you give to emerging female artists?

Be yourself, don’t dread the ‘journey’ with all its ups and downs, and always remember about your goals.

Interview with Kristina Okan 

What artwork/series of works do you find pivotal for your career? 

I would say it is my Allusions graphic series. What I did in the period of 2017—2018 defined my entire artistic practice so far. I feel like I have found my voice. Besides, I have realized that the process itself is just as important as the outcome in art. 

How has being a woman affected your career?

Luckily, my gender has never affected my career in neither way. I believe there should always be enough space for both male and female artists on the art scene.

What makes a great artist?

Honesty with yourself. Sensitive interaction with the world. Regular doubting and questioning what you do.

Which other great women artists inspire you and why?

Alicja Kwade is an absolutely mind-blowing artist for me. The way she works with materials such as stone and wood is great and simple and smart and impressive at the same time, it looks like pure magic! Giovanna Garzoni has become my recent discovery: her works are very inspiring because of their mesmerizing quality and a very sensitive admiration of nature they transmit. I also think here of Yayoi Kusama, her parallel universe where you just lose a sense of reality.

What advice would you give to emerging female artists?

Be in contact with your inner voice, never let it down. Always be the best version of yourself. 

Text:
I r i n a  R u s i n o v i c h

Shamil Khairtdinov was born in Podolsk, Russia, but now lives and works in Moscow. He has been involved in photography since 2014, however, he never studied it. Qualified as a specialist in the oil and gas industry, Shamil graduated from the faculties ‘Creative Video’ and ‘Directing’ at the Wordshop Academy of Communications in 2015. 

The blooming talent of the photographer was soon recognized: his accomplishments were awarded by many professional institutions such as Hamdan International Photography Award (Dubai) where Shamil reached the final in 2016 and Trierenberg Super Circuit contest for photographic art (Austria). Shamil Khairtdinov also participated in various exhibitions for young artists and photographers, including those held in the museums for modern art in Moscow and Austria. He had several personal exhibitions: e.g. at Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art (Moscow). 

I wanted to become better acquainted with Shamil, so I asked him some questions about his approach and artistic path.  

How would you describe your style and your approach to photography? 

I always follow the feelings: the instincts are in the first place for me. You know, sometimes thinking gets in the way. While shooting, I try not to think at all, just taking pictures of the interesting things that wander into my sight. At that moment, all prejudices are turned off, they simply die. Following the feeling, following the instinct: you open up to the outside world, to what is in front of you at that very moment, and start noticing beautiful things. 

In fact, it’s similar to the behavior of a cat. I observed the behavior of my cat for a long time and realized that if something catches her attention, she goes there immediately, without hesitation. So we can compare it to the state of instinct in photography: you move where your eyes lead you without any doubt. Next is the selection of photos. This process resembles a counselling session. It’s important to analyze all images, while making choices, asking some questions like: ‘Why did I choose this stone or this pavement or this person? What attracted me to this? Why am I interested in this at all? Does it maybe have something to do with my past?’. 

As for people, I try to connect with them. The main thing is to read the person’s mind and state in the process of photo shooting. 

Did you always know you wanted to be a photographer? 

No, it happened by accident. Before filming, I worked in advertising. I ran my own little commercial agency. One day I decided to study strategy at the Wordshop Academy of Communications, so I entered the faculty of Creative video and later the faculty of Directing. At the faculties, there were some photography tasks. It all started there. I was just wrapped up. I began taking photos of virtually everything: I took around 1,500 pictures every day and 2 months later, I won a photo competition at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. On March 6, 2014, I quit advertising and decided to dive completely into photo and video shooting. It was like falling in love with a woman at first sight. True unconditional love… That’s how it was here: I knew for sure that I wanted it. In addition to photography, I also work as a cameraman and director.

The topic for the current Purplehaze print issue is WOMEN. What do you think of when hearing this word?

Women are the love. In fact, Al Pacino’s monologue from the film The Scent of a Woman immediately came to my mind! I completely agree with it! ☺

Do you have a different approach to women in your work? 

The main thing is to love. That’s my only approach! ☺

Please tell us about your creative process. Do you tend to follow the same process in each project? 

No, I’m constantly exploring new approaches and applying some of them in my work. However, the approach of instincts that I described at the beginning, I always use it because it allows me to see and feel what’s happening in front of the eyes from a new perspective.

What are the fundamental messages you want to get across with your work? 

Talking about reportage and street photography, I seek to transmit what I feel for the place where I am. I try to show everything with no assessment.

But as for the project series or movies that are in the process of being created, then it’s more interesting for me to show the strength of a person’s spirit, demonstrate what a person is capable of. I love to highlight the stories of the people, who even while finding themselves in the most terrible conditions, retain a piece of soul. Whatever happens, some hope should always stay there. In my opinion, art should encourage people to create and inspire others after all.

What’s the latest project you are working on? 

I’m currently working on a short film, the story of which is based on real events from the distant 2000s. The script and all other things are ready for the project. The budget just leaves to be found! 

Text: P a u l i n a  B r e l i ń s ka – G a r s z t ka
Edited the text: J u l i a  K r y s h e v i c h
Photo: f r o m  a r t i s t‘ s  a r c h i v e s

‚I spend a lot of time in my studio: that is the reason for my paintings being photographed and displayed on social media in that particular place. For the past two years, I have been working and thinking about the form of presentation for my works right here. I managed to create a new language of communication with the viewer, which is less literal and figurative. 

Now the paintings show more feelings and emotions than they did a few years ago. Perhaps it’s the specific time of the pandemic, social isolation and omnipresent socio-political conflicts that have strongly affected my way of painting’ – says artist Lia Kimura. One can trace how Kimura’s working style has evolved in her latest cycle of paintings (to be displayed at the artist’s solo exhibition Unpresent at Wallspace Gallery Warsaw, starting from February 2022).

Upon entering Lia’s studio, located on Bracka Street in the very center of Warsaw, one is immediately confronted with lots of abstract paintings. Although the viewer can primarily see human figures in the canvases, it’s not the carnality that is most important in Lia’s works. Applying successive layers of paint serves as an act of symbolic obliteration of memories, fears, experience, and the past. The works are like portals in which invisible fragments of life are hidden. One painting captures a longing for loved ones, another says about the fear of how fast reality changes, while the third one focuses on a specific memory. 

The colors are also worth noting. From pastels and body-like shades to pure and expressive colors — reds, pinks, blues — applied onto the canvas by the artist’s hand; there is even some space for black shades that are gradient and blurred like memories. Moving around the artist’s studio, one can see that her everyday life is exactly such a palette of colors. On a high black tenement wall, the latest pictures look as though they had been hanging there forever.

Lia Kimura, Absence of sound, oil paints on canvas, 2021

Lia Kimura, Touch, 160×120, oil on canvas, 2020

Lia Kimura, Traces, oil on canvas, 100×80, 2020

It is interesting how complementary the space and canvases can be. The aura of the studio is peaceful, somehow soothing, and quiet, though the very hallways and the two rooms with large windows are filled with the untold stories of a hardworking artist, a sensitive woman, a curious human being. Lia describes herself as a thinker whose head is often filled with reflection about existence: she likes to philosophize and explore human nature. This makes the space she works in every day even more refined for contemplating the world. 

The statement about the autotherapeutic dimension of Lia’s artistic work is intriguing. As the introductory text to the Unpresent exhibition suggests: ‚The only psychological, personal, and aesthetic profile that we can read from the paintings is that of the artist‘. It is about building a relationship between Lia, the artist, and her as a human being who faces everyday life. Only when art pieces are brought to public space, i.e. art galleries, the experience of exposing the works takes place. 

Thanks to the titanic work done, both artistically and internally, Lia’s canvases look intriguing and inviting to contemplate. The market success they have achieved seems to prove their validity as independent objects — pieces of art. The works have been appreciated by collectors from Germany, Japan and the USA, as well as by major art critics. Later this year, they will be showcased at one of the most important festivals in Japan — Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2022. Last year, Kimura’s canvases were exhibited in two London venues — the Fitzrovia Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery. Nonetheless, Lia’s studio where it all began is still remembered as a perfect place where art and everyday life coincide.  

Self Trap, 100×80, 2021

Self Trap, 100×80, 20212

Self Trap, 100×80, 202123

Bio

Lia Kimura is a Japan-born Polish painter. Kimura’s work is mostly connected with her place of birth, search for identity and intensive feelings: the experience of death, alienation, and hope. Her paintings represent both the traditional form of expression and the experimental approach, where figurative forms are matched with abstract matter. 

The artist currently lives and works in Warsaw, where she started her career in 2016.

Her paintings belong to almost 40 private collections (Germany, England, Japan, Switzerland, Poland) and were displayed  at such group exhibitions as Color of life held in the Fitzrovia Gallery and Saatchi Gallery (London) in 2021 and a pre-auction exhibition in Polswissart Showroom in Warsaw (7 December 2021). They will also be shown at the Osaka Kansai International Art Festival (Kenba Excel Building, 28 January—13 February 2022).

More about Lia Kimura’s art: liakimura.com/ 

Text and Photo: Irina Rusinovich

Where do you come from, where and when were you born?

I am from Tbilisi, Georgia
12.08.1990

Please tell us about your artistic vita in a few sentences.

I think my artistic vita begins in my dad’s art studio on the top of a soviet apartment building, the
place from which, till this day, I derive knowledge, emotions and questions with which I play with answers. In 2016-2021 I studied at Muthesius Kunsthochschule in Kiel. During which I participated in multiple shows. I can’t brag about the amount of gallery shows I’ve been in, since I’ve always been experimenting with different materials and styles. But I’m sure a lot will change in that direction this year.

How would you describe your creative process?

It is very chaotic, spontaneous and impulsive. I work on multiple different scale paintings at the same time. I believe these dynamics are shown in the paintings as well, I’m just not sure if it’s good or bad, but I look closely inwards during my creative process and I believe this is the most important aspect.

What was the key influence that led to the development of your process and style?

I think a big part of the process and the style stems from childhood insecurities and difficulties. What had the most influence was a confession, a very important confession that we don’t really know the place and environment we’re in and we need to study it, despite the fact that by itself everything looks familiar. This feeling of being lost was very interesting for me and acted as a starting point of this thinking, of the new style and process in my art.

What does art mean to you personally? Is there a goal you’re trying to accomplish?

Personally for me art is the reality, the chemistry of you looking or listening and knowing that it’s true, sincere and special. You have no idea why or how but you do know that it’s there.

Probably these are the hormones of reality with which people connect with each other outside of consciousness.

What is your favorite museum or art gallery and why?

Museums aren’t my favorite, they’re way too official. I prefer galleries and experimental spaces, since they’re a lot more candid and real. A lot of people criticize openings, saying that people go there just to talk and drink, but if that’s the case, then it’s good. Isn’t one of the qualities of art to build these sorts of bridges between people?

What’s your definition of beauty?

I try to find beauty in the everyday details. For example, I see a lot of it in a passionate person.

How do you think the art world will shape in the future?

Hard to say. The space is wide open and there are many directions. Despite technological progress and AI, human made art will have a significant value throughout the foreseeable future. Now is one of the most interesting times in the art world. We have an absolute craziness ahead.

What’s next for you?

I’m very motivated because I feel like I’m making my first serious steps towards my career.
A lot of new emotions, still unknown, await me. I’m excited for my solo show in Haze Gallery and I’m very happy that we work together. Thank you for the trust.

Text: Irina Rusinovich
Photo: Courtesy of photographer Marco Sanges

At an early age, Sanges started to work at his uncle’s photographic lab and became fascinated by the crafts and the process of developing and making black-and-white pictures. Sanges prefers analogue photography, as he’s nostalgic for the early 20th century, when life was slower-paced and even feelings seemed to last longer.

Greatly attracted to cinema and the luminous, black-and-white films of the silent-era, in particular, Sanges creates photographs in sequence. Every sequence tells a unique, multi-layered story, contributing to a highly personal, imaginary cinema. The projects staged as live theatrical performances are permeated with magnifying imagination. 

The surrealistic impression of Sanges’ work represents the liberation of the unconscious. The artist aims at creating art outside the boundaries of official culture: he seeks to reject the established values and elaborate some fantasy worlds through illustrating extreme mental states and ideas.

There is also an enchanting, yet dark side of the artist’s work: an intriguing depth that appears to highlight the drama of life and capture the sincerity of the journey. Sanges’ works make the spectator embark on an emotional voyage and lose themselves in the narrative and the power of storytelling.

His exhibitions bring together the works of an artist who is passionate about life in its entirety and continues to evoke, transcend, and excite the world! Although fascinated by digital arts, Sanges strongly believes in the immortality of film and the real essence of photography. He works with a 6×7 camera and always expects the pictures to be perfect at the first raw.

How would you describe your style and your approach to photography?

I would describe my style as cinematographic and complex. I create projects and photographs in sequence, where each story is slowly revealed to the viewer. I use photography as a medium to explore the unconscious and fantasy realms. I like to work using a variety of concepts and techniques, experimenting and bringing creativity in my compositions, designing my own imaginary world, like I were daydreaming, you know.  

The topic for the current Purplehaze print issue is WOMEN. What do you think of when hearing this word? 

Mystery, style, sex appeal, intuition, sophistication. and red lipstick.

Do you have a different approach to women in your work?

I enjoy finding strong and eccentric personalities who become the main characters of my narratives. It’s a desire of mine to tell a story through still images, while also implementing an element of cinema. It’s like a natural progression that remains strongly present. You can clearly see it in my ‚Circumstances‘ series in which I predominantly shot women. 

Please tell us about your creative process. Do you tend to follow the same process in each project?

My creative process is constantly evolving. It does change depending on the project, the subject, and the message I want to convey. The only thing that doesn’t change is my devotion with analogue shooting, i.e. developing/processing films in the darkroom. I’m attached to the old craft of photography, thus, it’s very important for me to carry it on in my practice.

What message do you want to get across with your photography?

I would say the most important thing is the storytelling power of my photographs. For me, each image is a way to address the imagination of viewers, make them experience their own version of the story. Capturing a moment with tension, inspiration, and emotion is the main goal of all my practice.

How has your practice evolved since starting out?

Photography is a vast craft and my practice has evolved a lot since starting out. Working on different projects has allowed me to discover some sides of me that I previously had no idea about. It also enabled me to push boundaries and dare to try out different ways of photographing.

Please tell us about your new COVID series.

The idea of creating COVID series came to me at the beginning of March last year as we got stuck at home. I sought to document the unique period we all were going through and represent it in an authentic and artistic manner. The first part of the project was shot at home: it was just a mixture of daily objects and everyday scenes. Those were the things that became very close to us, meanwhile the external world suddenly became unknown. I guess there was even something comforting in knowing those objects were at our side day after day.

In the second part of the project, I went out following my own shadow and capturing what had remained in the city. That’s how a series of portraits and street scenes arrived. My goal was to express the feelings we all shared during those strange times like a feeling of being imprisoned in a ghost town with the medium of photography. The spontaneous approach I took allowed me to capture genuine emotions and make striking images.

What’s the latest project you are working on?

Currently I’m working on a new project where lights, science, and astronomy are the main subjects. Photographing science and medical objects from the earlier centuries and bringing back the old crafts of astronomy is the goal of the project. The role of light and geometric shapes is very important; it brings a different dimension and definition to each image.