10 Questions with Victoria V

Born in Ukraine and based in Vienna, Austria, Victoria V has incorporated influences from Eastern European aesthetics and a Western approach in her art practice. Interested in ancient symbols and mythology, she combines an intuitive yet expressive manner with contemporary influences, planting Kandinsky’s and Itten’s theories on form and color impact.

Victoria’s figurative as well as abstract artworks explore the humans’ social boundaries along with personal ones, engaging concepts of trance, subconsciousness, sexuality, mystics, and symbolism, while different media (acrylics, markers, collage, papier-mâché, ink, etc.) used in her practice allow Victoria to create multi-dimensional textured original artworks with strong emotional vibes.

www.victoriav.art | @victoria_flowart

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I have always liked to draw and paint. As a child, when I was spending my time in the naughty corner, I sneaked pencils and drew on the wall, on the door, and on my grandma’s ironing board; when my friends wouldn’t play with me, because I was “weird” as of their opinion, I took my pencils and paints and created my own worlds and stories and put them to the paper.

I’ve been collecting my techniques and my teachers as a puzzle, which was resonating with me at different stages of my development; I adore the unpredictability of watercolours, the texture of oil; I love experimenting with acrylics, inks, and digital as well as with other materials like wires, threads, and papier-mâché; I adore the process of creation - just because I love to create.

For me, creating means breathing. This is a real ritual of diving into my own worlds and parallel realities. For me, creating means freedom. This is a ritual of traveling through the Universe and feeling the gods watching us. For me, creating means the interaction of energies and subtle matters, meanings, symbols, colours, pigments, lines, and canvases. It means the fusion of ancient, the present, and the future; it means the combination of higher material and inner demons. It is my way of touching mystery and magic that we often overlook in our daily lives.” - Victoria V

INTERVIEW

Could you tell us a little more about your background, and how did you begin making art?

I was always into drawing and painting, creating my worlds on paper. When I was a kid, I participated in a drawing contest for kids, won there the 1st prize, and got invited to start studying at my hometown's art school. But my mom told me (I still remember her phrase): "I don't need a crazy artist in my family". So I started to study foreign languages instead of art - first at school, later at the university. I've always been creative, though - I still remember my best classmate Katerina, which was as fond of drawing as I was, and how we hid our albums every day under the desk during math lessons, showing each other what we've drawn the evening before, or even drawing some comics during the lessons. 

I was interested in art and tried to put my dreams, my feelings, my images (I'm synesthetic, which helped me to quickly learn German and English - because I've seen foreign words in colors and forms and could very easily memorise them in that way) to the paper, but at some point I understood, that I have a lack of technique to bring everything I want to the paper. So, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I've started to visit private lessons in academic drawing. Afterwards, I understood that I could gather my techniques as a puzzle. I found my teachers in watercolour, acrylics, calligraphy, oil painting, sketching, and was studying in their schools or ateliers. 

And the most interesting story is that at some point - after many years of being angry with my mom for not letting me study at the art school and later at the art high school - I felt relieved of that resentment because I understood the freedom she gave to me - the freedom (and responsibility) to choose my way - whatever happens in my life, to choose my teachers, who are perceived after those months of finding them not as random people in my life, to choose my style of self -expression in my art. 

What do you wish you knew about contemporary art before you got started?

That one can do everything to express oneself.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

I'm not a fan of precision - I don't use any transfer methods to transfer sketches to the canvas or board. Instead, I meditate before I start the artwork, or I use my sketches and ideas from my notebook, where I put my dreams and thoughts inspiring me. But the main process starts with my work on the canvas/board, while I'm creating my artwork in the flow, being expressive, and going fully with the unexpected interaction process of the media I'm using and the canvas. For me, the overall harmony of the artwork, as well as its energy and symbolism, are the most crucial points I always emphasise. 

What is the most challenging part of your work? And where do you find inspiration?

I like to be challenged with art. When I have some ideas or thoughts I want to put on a canvas, I always have this feeling of challenge, questioning myself, what's the best way to put it on canvas, what's the best medium, composition, technique. Each artwork of mine is the answer to this inner hesitation and fear - it is a real story of overcoming myself and of relief in each case, captured on the canvas. Therefore I'm not afraid to use different styles - abstract, conceptual, figurative - in my art; therefore, I'm not afraid to use different techniques and mediums - acrylics, ink, oil, collage, wires and papier-mâché, markers - in order to find the best way to find the answer to my personal challenge.

My inspiration is mostly in me and around me - my dreams and thoughts, my personal life events, images I see due to my synesthesia when connecting with other people; I'm an addict to any kind of aesthetics, so I find my inspiration in any beautiful things - especially created by humanity - architecture, interior design, artworks by my colleagues; and, of course, nature is inspiring me much - but mostly by bringing me into that state of calmness and connection to my subconsciousness. Music plays a big role in my inspiration process - I even have a special playlist, which I use in my atelier when creating artworks. It's ambient, trippy stuff, which brings me closer to my spiritual core, which is actually The Creator in me.

What is your favorite experience as an artist so far?

I like connecting with like-minded and creative people because I feel that boost of energy while brainstorming with them and because I strongly believe that 1+1=11 - that's the principle of synergy. So, all the collaborations with creative people I did last year and those I'm planning to do this year are my favorite experiences as an artist.

Is there a piece you consider a "breakthrough" in your career? 

I would say that I consider my participation at major art fairs and events such as the XIII. Florence Biennale, New York ArtExpo, and Red Dot Miami as breakthroughs in my career. Before, I was selling my artworks worldwide to private collectors but didn't pay any attention to those "classical" methods of promoting myself as an artist like participating in art fairs, publications, biennales, art events, etc. When I saw my art published in renowned art catalogues and exhibited at big international art events - that fact was quite flattering and inspiring for me.

Do you have a role model that you've drawn inspiration from when creating your art?

I would say that I have several role models in that view: Jackson Pollock for his pure expressionism and inner freedom to create absolutely in the flow, Frida Kahlo for her self-centered inspiration - I mean how she was pouring out all her pain and suffering caused by own life experiences to her canvases through deep symbolism, and Marina Abramovich - for her strong spiritual appeal. 

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

This year, I've decided to concentrate myself on several collaborations with different artists and projects. For me, it should be an exciting experience not only because I adore collaborations with creative people but because those collaborations are connected with merging different art disciplines - painting and photography, painting and fashion, painting and interior art, painting and performance. Besides, those projects are international, which gives me inspiration and hope, that art is uniting and healing power in these difficult times we're living. 

What do you wish to accomplish this year, both in terms of career goals and personal life? 

Despite all instability in the world nowadays, I would be very happy that all the collaborations and projects will be implemented this year and bring joy and new exciting experiences to all the people who will see and visit those projects. 

As for my personal life, I just wish peace for Ukraine and for all the world. When there's peace, people can unite and create and look into their future without fear and anger. 

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?

I'm an artist fond of the process of creation and bringing something new to this world, of being free during creation and inspired by spiritual values and symbolic languages, of the impact of art. I'm an artist who is actually a translator of ideas from the mental and spiritual levels to the language of images and forms and colors. I'm an artist whose artworks are mostly artifacts, harmonising and nurturing with their energies. I'm an artist who believes in the power of sharing ideas, collaborating, and uniting. Finally, I'm an artist who strongly believes that art will save the world.