Interview
Ana Sosnowicz
Ana tried a lot of different artistically ways to express herself. She started with a statically unusual sculpting at the age of 12, which she tried to to professionalize at the age of 18 by studying in Florence as well as painting, the contrast to the much softer approach with textiles caught her so she started fashion design at the same time. Due do the fact that she realized that she will never ever get even close to those that made her go into these fields, she gave up. She started writing stories and studied language wishing that she will find the right words to express what made her feel not fitting wherever she went. Still, this was not what she considered good enough to spread it out. After 20 years of no textile, she came back to fashion but now for children. What she is doing now feels good because it is her, it is true, it is honest and it does not force anything on anybody including herself.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born and raised in traditional and well educated international family in Vienna/ Austria. I was always a bit different than the other children in my surrounding and I always had difficulties fitting in, hence I lost myself in drawing, painting and sculpting with clay already as a child. At the age of 18, I left home and cruised the world a bit, I started studying sculpting, fashion etc. but nothing really fulfilled me. I tried to express what I see, what I feel and think in many different ways until 2020, I finally found the one thing that combines them all. For the last three years, I focused on little 3D fantasies and combine them with children haute couture. It started as a way to decorate my windows in my shop but very fast I started understanding that it is much more than just a decoration. For about a year now, I found the best way to express myself without shocking provoking or making people ask the wrong questions.”
What inspires you?
“It is difficult to say what inspires me because it is nothing and everything. People inspire me, most of all what children or old people say. It is a tree that starts growing leaves, 3 weeks after all the others that inspire me. One thing that always will be on my mind when I work are these lonely trees in the middle of a field and after that huge field there is a forest. I always makes me think that all trees went together into one direction and this one tree decided it had enough and it will stay, stand still and enjoy the peace and quiet. These things inspire me but they they only influence my work as they remind me of my thoughts and feelings which are already there.”
“Through my work, I criticize what we made out of the world we live in.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“Through my work, I criticize what we made out of the world we live in. I criticize that we all know there is something wrong but we either withdraw or excuse our not taking action by saying we can't do anything about it. I am revolted by the fact that are so focused on ourselves that we forget about those in need. The values the society represent and teach are covetousness, shallowness and indifference. People are running after fame and fortune, those things will not feed the soul when we are old and sick, not only that we give our most precious time in exchange for something that can never fulfill us which is money. I also criticize myself as a part of this world because I don't want to see what is going on I work and withdraw. I crunch up and exclude myself not because I think I am better than the rest but because I don't want to face it. Everything that scares me seems too big and monochrome, this is why I make tiny colorful things, things that trigger you to step out of the treadmill we live in, stop and take a breath, explore and experience what it felt like to be a child. They all show what life looks like but it is us that can change them. I call out for people to get active in small steps and change my objects so they feel everything is possible if we start with small things. I know I will not address those that think that this world is normal but I doubt that anything can reach them.”
How would you describe your work?
“My works are a colorful, nice to look at, seemingly not provocative but they are a changeable criticism of a society I observe and I still believe in the ability for it to change. We just need to start listening to those that have real values because the were not bend or broken yet or have them again because they have nothing left to loose. I use all different media that I can think of to express my way of looking at life. I use mixed media and try different ways to approaches to create what I consider necessary to infatuate people looking at my objects. These approaches include sculpting, painting, carving, drawing etc. depending on the project.”
Which artists influence you most?
“There are so many of them that I look up to but I don't think they influence my work. Giacometti is one of the artists that influence me as a person most. There is something I found inside me that we have in common which is the fact that he went to his limits, the limits of the possible and that he was never satisfied with what he did. I stopped destroying what I do because I want to see the improvement even if it will never be good enough. I also believe in the emotion of the object and its inconstancy as well as the daily fight against the inner demons that lead to the difficulty of self acceptance which seems to be what drives each one of us just like a drug.”
What is your creative process like?
“It all starts with a detail, something small negligible like a pencil that I make. From there everything falls into place. Even while the process, I honestly speaking, have no idea what it will become. The process is wild but controlled because of the size of the details. My objects have their own dynamics.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“As far as I am concerned, the role of an artist per se is not more or less than of any other person. Its is what they create that should have an impact which I often miss. I think an artist that wants to have an impact unless he/she is an actor or director take themselves for too important. I give more importance to the observers, to those that see the world from a different angle after looking at a piece of art those that start thinking about life. I see there is amazing pieces of art, great people behind these wonderful game changers and a freedom I would love to feel. Art is what touches people without the brain behind it.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I was shy until now, so I exhibited in the arthouse Munich once but I was invited for more now. There are 4 different well known places in Basel, NY, Munich and Vienna I will have exhibitions intuit excite me a lot and I am very thankful for.”
Website: www.sosnowicz.com
Instagram: @sosnowicz.miniatures
