Artist Spotlight: Interview with Svitlana Sherstiuk
Graduated from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design in Ukraine in 2011, Svitlana Sherstiuk is an artist whose work is affected by her deep relationship with nature.
The artist spoke about how her encounter with the forest, which took place at the age of eight, was a defining moment that profoundly marked her path as a professional in the art world. The impressions collected at a young age, those made of lights and colors, but also of sounds and scents, form the basis of her current work in watercolor and oil. Through vivid, rough and rich brushstrokes, Sherstiuk attempts to capture the essence of the world and transport it to canvas. Her compositions convey joy and encourage the spectator to appreciate life in its simplest manifestations.
Supported by her first art teacher at the Maryya Zankovets’ka Art School in Nizhyn, the artist began participating in exhibitions and competitions first in her native country. Recently, however, her works have crossed the Ukrainian borders bringing her to London and Italy.
Below I share the interview with Svitlana Sherstiuk, which took place in November 2021 over email. Our chat retraces the main stages of the artist’s career and offers an overview on her future projects and her relationship with technology.
1. How did you decide to embark on the journey into the art world?
In my family I am the youngest child and this gave me more freedom. I grew up in the historic town of Nizhyn, where Picasso’s first wife was born. I have always been very active and loved playing football with the guys in the yard. When I was a child I fell in love with mathematics and drawing. At home I used to sketch, so my grandmother persuaded my parents to send me to an art school where I studied for five years. For me it was a place to relax and discover my creativity.
As a child and adolescent I was surrounded by nature and used to have an active lifestyle. In the area where I lived, everybody used to know each other and there was a general feeling of equality. There were neither poor nor rich. My school was a cozy place where all the children were considered equal. To me, the world seemed friendly and honest. In those moments I began to desire to create something original which was only mine. So, when I was about ten years old I decided to become an artist and convey my perception of the world through the use of color.
2. Can you introduce us to your sources of inspiration and tell us about the artistic influences on your work?
A catalogue of Claude Monet was one of the first art-related books in my hands. I made a lot of copies from that book because I was really attracted by his paintings. I can describe my own style as a combination of rude and bright features. This is because in my school we didn’t paint with oil, but instead experimented with watercolor. Also, in the “St. Petersburg Watercolors”, which is the paint I used, there is no white or black. I think that the use of white changes the whole tone of brightness in a picture and since I don’t have it in my palette, my watercolors are always bright.
Even though I didn’t paint with oil at school, I started experimenting on my own at home. Honestly I am not even sure if I do it right, however I think oil paintings are definitely the most interesting works because they convey my personal style.
There was a time in my life when I completely stopped drawing. My ordinary life was made up only of family, children and regular work. But for an artist living without art is like living without air. Every time I got to work, I started choking. This physical reaction derived from my profound discomfort: I was living a life without art. Supported by my family, one day I quit my job. At the time I had an Italian friend who worked in Ukraine; he and his wife were about to go to Italy so I begged them to take me in their journey. Once I arrived in Florence, I was amazed by the incredible artistic wealth of the city. My breathing problems disappeared quickly and I soon realized that I would never leave the art field again.
Traveling is for me an important source of inspiration because it suggests new ways for interpreting reality. Some artists that I particularly admire are Roberto Zangarelli, William Solomon, Marcos Beccari and Paola Bettello. When I was in Rome I attended the masterclasses of Roberto Zangarelli who made me discover the use of white tones. It was interesting to draw differently from the way I was used to do at home. As for Marcos Beccari, I think his watercolors are impressive: the study of a body immersed in water and then transposed onto canvas is particularly fascinating to me. Instead, Paola Bettello’s works with photographs (which were exhibited this year at the Florence Biennale) inspired me to produce a series of artworks with a combination of color, painting and emotion during the first wave of Coronavirus (where I expressed myself as a model too).
3. Can you describe your practice?
My preferred techniques are oil on canvas, watercolor, texture paste and digital art based on my own paintings. Since I have two children, I usually paint late in the evening or sometimes at night. I don’t have my own atelier, so the floor of my apartment is the most comfortable place where I can work. There is always something that inspires me, but I do not always have enough time to concentrate.
It often happens that I change the painting while I am working on it, following the flow of ideas that suddenly arrive. I also love sketching en plein air. We used to do it at school and I think this habit is still with me. I have recently started to work with oil technique on canvas as I like to experiment. My latest paintings have already become much more interesting than the first ones. I often use multiple layers and sometimes it happens that the final result is not at all like what I expected at the beginning of the work.
4. Can you tell us about the techniques you use?
At the moment I try to combine real paintings with virtual ones. I like working with Photoshop or Illustrator and focus on images based on my original paintings. Everything turns out to be unpredictable. I think that this kind of work can be interesting if printed on various materials, even metal, for example, which gives a kind of cool brightness to the work.
5. How do you connect the audience to your work?
I use Instagram and Linkedin on a daily basis. I like Instagram because with the help of this social network I can show not only my work, but also my personality. It is interesting to see the reaction of the people to my paintings and ask them what they think. I am often supported by my followers on Instagram and I got some orders of one of my artworks from Barcelona and India. Anyway, I must admit I prefer Linkedin as a social network because I find a more customized audience there. I usually get a lot of useful information from it. For example, I was made familiar with some exhibitions via Linkedin. I highly recommend it as an efficient platform in terms of self-promotion.
6. What is your relationship with technology?
I have always been familiar with mathematics and I think that this field and art are very interconnected. Today with the help of technology artists have more opportunities to showcase their work. They can also be more independent and succeed in their practice. The massive digitization in many sectors reflects also in the art field. I think for example about virtual worlds, virtual art galleries or NFTs. For me all this is very interesting.
7. Can you tell us about a work particularly dear to you?
Definitely my painting Lemons. This piece is one-of-a-kind because, in a way, the inspiration was already inside of me and I did not have to look around for it. In fact, I hadn’t picked up a brush in a long time. Yet, the isolation we experienced during the lockdown gave me the time I needed.
I saw a lemon: I looked at it on my table and I painted it right away. I simply wanted to render the idea of “juiciness”. It’s interesting how a lot of people are attracted by this piece, especially during the exhibition at the Taras Shevchenko Museum in Kyiv. Everyone was taking selfies in front of it, even teenagers.
Even an ordinary leaf that falls from a tree may unexpectedly become an original painting. Nature always gives an artist a lot of possibilities. I think of nature as a place of power and this painting shows my love for it.
8. Do you have any resolution for 2022?
They say that if you dream then dream big. In 2022 I hope to collaborate with some important art galleries and exhibit my work, possibly taking part in some projects together with other artists, which is always very challenging. For me it’s important to learn from others and improve my artistic skills as well. As soon as you create new pictures, fresh and new ideas naturally follow.
I like to dream, but I am also a practical person who works a lot to fulfill her projects. One of my dreams has recently become true: a selection of my paintings will be presented in the historical center of Venice in a beautiful setting. But also, why not? I would like some international clothing brands to use one of my paintings to print on their fabrics.
