Meeting with the artist Evgenia Saré 17/11/2020
On the occasion of the winter flash sale, we had the opportunity to interview the artist Evgenia Saré who was kind enough to present us her universe and her latest inspirations.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I started drawing at a very early age and I loved the theatre. When the time came to choose a profession - there was no doubt about it - I wanted to be a stage designer. I entered the Academy of Fine Arts and it was really an "academic" training. Six hours a day for six years of drawing and painting, not to mention other subjects - art history, composition, etc. - and I was very happy with that.
I started working for the theatre as a student and after graduating from the Academy, my work became permanent. In total I have made more than 40 performances (costumes and sets) and some feature films. Alongside my main work, I have been interested in trying out different techniques - in particular everything associated with prints - etchings and monotypes.
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Where do you find your inspiration?
For me, in printmaking techniques, there is a very attractive element of mirror reflection, an element of play. I continue to make prints, but painting is gradually taking up more and more of my time. Especially as the painting technique I use (oil, glazing, multi-layering and detail work) takes up a lot of time and requires concentration. To put it simply, I don't have enough time to do everything that interests me.
The material is very important to me. From the preparation of the canvas surface to the quality of the brush. I have now developed a technique that I feel comfortable and confident in, but along the way there has been a lot of research. So I stopped at a classical painting technique that was already used in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is a technique that gives you time to think and does not tolerate haste.
It surprises many collectors, because our era assumes much more reactive, quick techniques. Collectors experience a cognitive dissonance - a clearly modern painting done in the classical technique. Some of my clients, lovers of old paintings, have admitted that my work is the first modern painting in their collection.
What is your creative process?
My characters are real to me, nothing human is foreign to them. The characters are sometimes placed in unusual conditions or combinations (cat or crocodile on the head), but that can happen to anyone, can't it? These combinations give the impression of being out of the ordinary. In fact, they are people around us; with their worries, their thoughts, their journey, their wisdom and their kindness.
I think my work in the theatre has left a mark on my painting, in the dualism of the actors playing their roles. The usual things in unusual combinations change their meaning. It's a fascinating game. A game with meanings. It's an opportunity to look at familiar things in a completely new way. Try it, you'll love it.
Do you have a favourite artist or a favourite work?
I can't say what exactly has shaped my world view. Just as I can't name a favourite artist or work. We collect everything around us, all the knowledge we accumulate over the years: we each recycle it in our own way. Of course, literature and music form us mainly on an emotional level.
I can never say exactly what influences my work, what serves as an impulse for a kind of composition, it's always a bit of improvisation, in a sketch. When I start working on the canvas - the place of improvisation is taken by a measured action. Improvising technically on the canvas - it's almost impossible.
Who are the characters in your work?
My characters live in their own world. They look at us, and they tell each of us what we want to hear. These characters comfort us and invite us to dream with them. They know something about us that we don't know about ourselves (they don't share their knowledge with me either). ) Each viewer can tell their own story, and I think it's a fascinating experience.
The range of colours in which I work has gradually become lighter over the years. My paintings are brighter now than they were ten years ago, but not much. It happens naturally, nothing has been decided in advance. I don't have any favourite colours, how could I rob myself by preferring one colour. But often the painting itself dictates a range of colours in which it will feel good.
How do current events in the world influence your art?
Looking at humanity with admiration, despite some disappointments, I think that people have everything that is beautiful on earth. I am very interested in observing people and analysing their actions. More and more, I regret not seeing human development in 100 or 200 years.
I believe that the sense of self-preservation will help humans in their development. They will become more tolerant of each other, that the natural changes in civilisations will not lead to the disappearance of good, of understanding. It is necessary to keep a lucid and benevolent vision of the world, and then humanity will have a chance.
What are your future plans?
At the moment I can't say anything specific about my future plans - since the beginning of this year many exhibitions have been cancelled and the end of this state is not yet visible. I am very happy with our collaboration with Singulart, and when I received the proposal to participate in the winter flash sale, I was delighted.
https://blog.singulart.com/fr/2020/11/17/rencontre-avec-lartiste-evgenia-sare