Interview

Oct 11

Bojana Stojanovic Ntoula

Bojana Stojanovic is from Serbia, she was born in 1983. She lives in Athens. She has a Masters degree in Painting. She was studying in Romania, in the city, Cluj-Napoca. Since 2008, she is a member of ULSN (Assotiation of visual artists of Negotin). She is also a member of Romanian Artists in Greece.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“My journey in the art world begun as long as I’ve known myself, first it was afternoon art school since I was 10 years old, then high school for art and then university. I did school in Serbia, where I was born as well, and university I continued in Romania, in city Cluj-Napoca. Now, I live in Greece for the past 4 years.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“My work belongs to a social movement for neurodiversity. I believe that is it a very long way to go, but it has to begin somewhere, and I am happy it already did in some countries - the understanding and accepting of neurodivergent people. The next step after that is inclusion in this society, and by that I mean by offering them a possibility to work, and exist and feel comfortable about it, feel like they belong in this society. The goal of the neurodiversity movement is having fulfilled the Maslow's hierarchy of needs for neurodivergent people as well as for anyone else. My work is showing the way I understand and feel my child autism. It is about all the emotional nuances that I could have never seen if it wasn’t for her. I get to have this job, to paint the passage from one world to the other, I feel like a bridge from neurodivergent to neurotypical humans. Also, art is directly related to intuitive work. My work is expressing emotional states that are not possible to express in any other way but through colours and shapes.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“I never plan my work in advance. I can only have this feeling of being charged and ready to paint and then to leave it all on the canvas.”

Are there any art world trends you are following?

“Art therapy is something that is starting to become a big trend, especially in working with neurodivergent people and children. I am interested in that.”

“My work belongs to a social movement for neurodiversity.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“I am always working on many canvases, mix techniques. The process is intuitive, so I let my instincts lead the way.”

What does your art mean to you?

“My art is for me a way of therapy.”

What’s your favorite artwork and why?

“My favorite artwork is my first work done on this subject, because only after I painted it, I realize what I did, and that this is going to be my goal for many years. Only after the painting is done, I have to understand what I painted.”