Learning process

Submitted by Zenia Grynberg on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 23:35.

It was my father who taught me to make jewelleries. He is a self-learner.

In the beginning of 80-s he began trying to work with silver. Before that he was mostly drawing and working with wood. The source for his esthetical world is nature as well. He started to teach me when I was about 13-14. In our job we deal with the open fire and our hands have to be strong. Father started to make jewelleries, when after a birthday party I broke a silver spoon that my grandmother gave me as a present. I was about 10-11 at that time. In order to solder the spoon together he had to learn methods of working with silver. It was forbidden that time in the USSR. He was collecting knowledge from different people. He built a burner working on petrol with the help of a madras pump and a football bladder to maintain the pressure. When people saw such a machine they called it “Molotov’s cocktail”. So he taught me as well. Since I had arrived in Denmark, I never had any teachers. I was practicing it myself, no matter where I used to live: in a refugee camp, a hostel, or a city apartment. I always had a small workshop and I was working there. But that was just my hobby, more seriously I was dealing with music, I entered the conservatoire and studied there. I participated in different competitions, concerts, was preparing for something... Since it was my hobby, there were no demands. I was doing what I loved to do, studied books, learned.

Sometimes people come and order simply formed, classical things, so I get myself together and work. Although I wasn’t taught to make exact, symmetrical, very smooth things, every new order for me, even if it is different from what I usually do, is a continuation of the learning process.

Style:

My father fostered me interest for modern style. It appeared 100 years ago, when many artists, designers and architects turned to nature as a source of inspiration. In modern style nature is organised and symmetrical. It is balanced, very understandable and cosy. It is not scary though, it is pleasant. Biblin’s paintings are an example. Here you can see images of monsters, horrifying dragons, but they are a part of a fairy tale. Splinted and polished, they are not dangerous at all. Japanese applied art has been another source of inspiration for me and my father: custom objects’ design, weapon, utensils, and costumes. People of Japan draw their inspiration out of nature. But the nature here is not at all symmetrical and organised, vice versa; it is more rigid and strict than in Modern style.

Russia:

I came here when I was 18, with a deep intention to gain a new identity. I managed to do it, and Russia was forgotten by me for about 10 years. But I has always been warmly recalling my country-town Bukovo, I always used toloved it. Everybody, who was ever taken there by me, loved it as well. Later I got my new passport and travelled sometimes back to Russia. But I didn’t really feel a lot of excitement. Suddenly later, when I was about 32 I started to feel overwhelmed. I suddenly felt a special energy potential for myself in this country and in Moscow. Since that time I have always felt deep respect to this place. I understood that my roots are there, that I belong there, and nowhere else on earth can I find such energy for myself. And it is wonderful.

It is something my nature strives to every day of the year. Journey to Russia is the most prominent event of the year for me. I count every year from summer to summer, because it is time of nature prosperity and of my travel time. It is time of harmony and a place saturated with love between me, nature and everything around me. I mean simply nature, because Russia has its own unique energy.

About nature:

Why nature motives? Why? Nature creates many beautiful things. I prefer regular countryside. I am not attracted by deserts or Greenland. I need presence of pines and birch trees. Scandinavian nature is similar to Russian, that is why I have pleasure when contacting it. Although, in order to contact it, I have to travel about 200 kilometres to the North of Sweden. I drive 200 kilometres and come to an endless forest. Why do I love all the flowers? Because it is a beauty. I used to read in some book that nature, appeal to it as an inspiration or a source of calming and energy for a man is a return to something feminine. It is aspiration for feminine and maternal energy. Nature is a mother. Nature gives love, and you can relax, observe and enjoy the beauty.

My art language is precise; it contains figures and recognisable images. You don’t have to guess what it is: a frog, or a mouse, or a scarab, or a dragonfly, or something else. People like what I do, but still it is not everybody’s taste. That is the point; my workshop is only visited by those who are interested in what I do. I wouldn’t call myself an all embracing artist; I only do the things I like. Maybe my imagination is not that rich, I mostly do the things I see. There were some periods of time when I was trying to find inspiration in Klimt and Dali paintings. I was looking at them and trying to draw some things and images, inspired by that visual language. Was it successful? No, actually, I just finished the sketches and did not go any further.

It might sound childish. Maybe I am not mature enough yet. I have always perceived abstract art as something mature. And something precise, as to finding form for something already existing is more childish world understanding for me. Actually, even in my age of 36 I still realise myself as a young creature, a beginner in this world. I am often surprised when thinking how many things I have already experienced- it is about time I became mature. But I always feel childish, that is why my style is the way it is. I think it is interesting for those people, who have the same spontaneous view of beauty that gives them energy. A kind of energy, that gives happiness and relaxation, and a rest from everyday stress. All my creations bring this kind of energy to people.

So you basically draw uncultivated inspiration out of nature?

Well yes, looks like I am the first one to cultivate it. There are abstract definitions that do not really feet into modern design frame. And that is the way I like it.

I have never tried to define myself as an artist. Actually I do not realise myself as an artist. I look for interesting images and just embody them. Another thing is, who I want to become, which aim I want to reach. This is another story... But in order to do my living, I have to spend a lot of time on making ordered things, which quite often doesn’t go along with what I usually do. I would like my things to be even more informative, so that it was possible to see the whole story while looking at a piece of my jewellery. A story of undivided love, or nature disasters. Something that can touch everybody’s heart. Something up to date, unspoken so far. I do not plan to create a jewellery in the form of the Twin Towers, for example, it is still in the area of imagination. I am still creating the same butterflies, dragonflies and frogs... But I really want them to contain some spice. I want them not only to please the eye, but also strike imagination and make people think.