Viktoria Maliar Finds Her Voice
Ukrainian artist, Viktoria Maliar, shares her creative process and work with us. After Maliar earned her Bachelor’s in Architecture she moved to Berlin to study at the WeiBensee Academy of Art and is only just now starting her vibrant creative career as an artist.
Viktoria Maliar
KARDIA: Describe your earliest memory of connecting with art making. Either as a young child or when you grew into “artist” as part of your identity.
VIKTORIA MALIAR: One of my earliest memories is that I was drawing some comics about Tom & Jerry — my favorite cartoon at that moment. I guess it started there, that visual art was for me a way to tell stories, which I keep doing in my works even now. But the breaking moment was when I was around fourteen years old. That’s when I started to see art consciously and started working on my skills.
Frog Princess
oil on canvas
K: Looking back, if you could share some advice, artistic or not, for your younger artist self, what would you say?
VM: I was taking art classes as a teenager, but only a few times, because I got bored very fast. But I wish I would have tried another class back then, maybe with another teacher or approach. Getting a good drawing base and learning painting techniques as a young person would have definitely helped me now, and saved a lot of time. So I would say: practicing under the supervision of a good teacher makes you develop your skills really fast. Don't ignore that.
K: When you’re in the studio, what does your day look like? Do you have a specific routine you stick to?
VM: Yes, I start with some little preparations. There is always something to do, which is not painting. Priming a canvas, sorting some works, sharpening pencils — this brings me into the working mood. Then I just sit down and draw or stand at the easel and paint, listening to good music. Music is very important for my painting routine. Usually I work till it gets dark, because I don’t like artificial light, although I have some professional lamps in the studio.
Personal I
oil on canvas
K: What kinds of media do you create and experiment with most? Are there any new products or techniques that you’ve tried out and really loved?
VM: I experiment mostly with oils. Recently I tried a technique of painting with transparent layers on wood panels. I’m still developing this technique, but I’m already in love with how it looks and what atmosphere it creates. It works so well with the symbolic and surrealistic themes of my art.
K: What kinds of things bring inspiration to your life and work? What sparks joy in your heart?
VM: Definitely mythology and symbols from the ancient and more recent past. I love mysteries, nostalgia and romance. What has also become an inspiration for my art in recent years is nature. I like to observe it and reflect in my artworks even if I don't paint it exactly.
Reunion
oil on canvas
K: Who are some artists that you look up to or are in awe of? What about them or their work do you connect with the most?
VM: There are too many to name, but I want to mention two living artists whose works always impress me. And that would be the Italian painter Guglielmo Castelli, who creates absolute magic, in my opinion. I love how he works with composition, colors, and textures. And the second one is the German painter Ruprecht von Kaufmann, who works more in figurative style, yet his works look so fresh, dynamic and deep at the same time. I’m totally in love with his brush strokes. And of course I totally feel the subjects both artists work with — that is something I want to bring through my art too.
K: What do you think is the greatest duty of an artist?
VM: To refer to the human soul I believe. I think a good artist works with the matters that stand upon our daily life and routine. Art is great when it touches something in the viewer’s heart or mind and reminds us about something higher, not materialistic, in each of us.
K: What attracts you most to portrait work? Do you tend to be more focused on the figure or textures and colors in your pieces?
VM: I would say both. I can't say that I’ve found my language in painting already. I’m still experimenting and trying a lot. Yet the portraits as subjects are always interesting and also for experimenting. People are interesting. They are the biggest mystery. I guess I will never be tired of painting portraits.
Metaphor
oil on canvas
K: When you last saw a work of art that made you stop and really pulled you in, who was the artist and what was the piece like?
VM: It was just recently on the exhibition I visited which was devoted to the works of Belgian symbolism. And there was a painting of Arnold Böcklin titled “The Isle of the Dead.” I’ve seen this work many times before on the Internet, but of course seeing it live was a different experience. It’s a very deep piece in many senses.
K: When you experience a creative “block” how do you resolve it? Do you have any advice for artists struggling currently with an artist’s block?
VM: I think a creative block happens when you start expecting too much from your art, and don't feel the process itself. But if it happens my advice would be to keep connected with art — maybe watch some documentaries, look through art albums, visit galleries. And if you can’t draw anything in particular, keep making some doodles or simply lines. Just don't let your hand forget the feeling of holding a pencil or a brush. Also trying other artistic mediums can help.
K: If you could imagine having the most enjoyable and fulfilling day, describe what that would be like. What kinds of things would you do?
VM: I would like to wake up early somewhere where it’s warm and sunny and I had some beautiful views outside. Where I could drink my coffee and think about eternal things. Then I would like to work in my studio, maybe not the whole day, but while my head is still fresh. And then spend time with my beloved ones outside. Communication with people I love gives me a lot of energy for life and art. And by the way there would be definitely no Internet consumption on this day. All devices off.
K: What are some ways or tools that have helped you grow and develop your art career over the past few years? Any advice for emerging artists?
VM: I would say it’s persistence and discipline, even though in my opinion I’m still struggling with these issues. But once you take your work seriously, there’s no place for weakness and laziness. Declaring yourself a professional puts responsibility on you, which at first may be scary. But very soon you will become happy and respectful with your work and if that’s so, it won’t take long for other people to see you and your work the same way.
K: What are some ways that your community can best support you as an artist?
VM: Of course showing that they feel my art, that people get inspired by it. I guess any response from the audience is very important for an artist. Even though my works might be very personal, I still want to share them with the world. And understanding that they find responses in so many different souls all over the world, makes me really happy and brings meaning to the things I do.
More information and ways to shop Viktoria’s work online here…