What inspired you to create art and become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)
I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. But when it came time to choose a profession, I didn't even consider a career as an artist. I even managed to get a technical education.
I was born and raised in Yekaterinburg, which is a typical Russian industrial city. In the early 90s, I spent a few days in Italy, which was a real cultural shock for me. This experience likely determined my future as an artist.
What is your artistic experience, techniques, and themes you have experimented with?
My first serious artistic experience was academic education. Since then, my love for form and harmonious plastic solutions in composition has remained unchanged.
Working as a restorer in a church made me pay attention to the complex emotional content of images.
Currently, I am interested in experimenting on the edge of realism, focusing not so much on the external beauty of images but on deep, unconscious sensations.
What are 3 aspects that distinguish you from other artists, making your work unique?
My work is a journey inside myself. For me, it is absolutely unique. Another question is how interesting it is to the viewers. This, I cannot know.
Where does your inspiration come from?
It's hard to say. For this, I probably need a special state close to meditation. Inspiration doesn't come when you're running around thinking about everyday problems.
True creative energy appears during the process of working. All artists know this. It's a powerful energy that literally gives you wings. These are moments of happiness.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations, or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
I am usually surprised by the viewers' reactions. Any reaction. If a person sees my work and feels something, it is already amazing. Because I don't think about what feelings I want to evoke. I don't even formulate them for myself. Every creative work is a journey with a very approximate route. And, since inspiration comes along the way, there can be unexpected turns. The feelings embedded in the first sketch develop new nuances. My task is to express these feelings as accurately as possible for myself. During this time, I don't think about the viewer at all.
What is the process of creating your works? Is it spontaneous or with a long preparatory process (technical, inspiration from classical art, etc.)?
Usually, the process is quite long. The first sketch is like fixing an idea. Then refining it. And then, on the canvas, working on the details.
I love looking at the works of other artists to refresh my perception and stir my imagination.
Do you use a specific technique in your work? If so, can you explain it?
In painting, I often start with an underpainting using acrylics. It helps to quickly lay out the main areas on the canvas. Then I paint with oils. Oil is more plastic, and I find it easier and more pleasant to work with.
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us what they are?
I strive to be an innovator for myself. With each new work, I try to step beyond my usual compositional and figurative solutions.
Do you have a preferred format or medium? If so, why?
If the question is about physical sizes, then in painting, it's around a meter. In graphics, it varies: sketches are smaller, and a long-term project can be quite large.
Or maybe I misunderstood the question.
Where do you create your works? At home, in a shared studio, or in your own studio? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?
I work wherever there is an opportunity. Ideally, alone. I can also work in the presence of close people, but only if they don't need me at that moment.
The work requires complete immersion.
Does your work require you to travel to meet new collectors, attend fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it bring you?
Commercial promotion has always been handled by other people. And exhibitions are always a celebration. A lot of positive emotions that also inspire.
How do you envision the evolution of your work and artistic career in the future?
I will continue to experiment. I will seek new solutions for new themes.
I will increase my level of recognition. Today, online platforms greatly help with this. Thanks to Artmajeur!
What is the theme, style, or technique of your latest artwork?
The title of my latest completed painting is "Uspavanka," which translates from Serbian as "Lullaby." I love how this word sounds in Serbian. I currently live in Serbia. This painting probably wouldn't have come to life anywhere else. I really like this country. In reality, it is very warm and sunny. But in dreams, our impressions of the real world are transformed in a peculiar way and tell us more about ourselves than about the external world.
Tell us about your most important exhibition experience.
Organizers put a lot of effort and energy into each exhibition. I am equally grateful to all of them. Every exhibition is an important experience, if only because paintings look different in a gallery than in the studio.
If you could create a famous artwork in the history of art, which one would you choose? And why?
The Pyramids of Giza. What could be more famous!? Just kidding, of course.
If you could invite one famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you propose spending the evening?
Leonardo da Vinci. In his workshop. Now that would be interesting!
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
