Interview
Maria Lvova
Maria is of Russian origin, was born in Paris, and is living in Geneva, Switzerland. She graduated from V. Surikov Moscow State Academy of Arts and School of Theater Stage Decoration and Monumental Arts (Ecole de Trompe l'œil et de décor de théâtre) in Geneva.
Maria also has a degree in oriental history from Moscow State University, where she studied the history of the Arab countries in the Middle Ages.
Maria has participated in exhibitions in Geneva, Lausanne, Paris, Moscow, Buenos-Aires and Cairo. Some of her works are part of private collections in Europe and Russia.
Maria is a member of the Union of Russian Artists, and a member of the International Union of Artists.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I come from a family of artists. My mother and uncle were artists, and I've been drawing since my childhood. Color is my obsession. I feel colors, I think colors, I live colors. I’m synesthete. Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.”
“Our society is a garden that we cultivate, and where we interact with each other. The river of time brings new people with their cultures. And just like with water, everything in our life mixes and starts all over again. Combining color, element and rhythm, we immerse ourselves in a particular world of associations, through which something different is revealed to each of us.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“I have been a part of, and have been following the river of time for quite a while now. I associate color with smells, faces and events. It’s interesting for me to observe how our memory snatches fragments of the past and paints them in different colors, which then emerge as a memory of tastes, smells, events, people. On the canvas, they turn into certain images; frames with different focus and sharpness.
I observe changes in color preferences in our society. How are new color combinations and ornaments from other cultures woven into modern aesthetics? What do technological innovations change in our coloristic perception? How is all of this intertwined into something completely new?”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“I’m observing the emergence of a new unified visual culture, and waiting to see how it will change. This unified culture combines painting, architecture, curatorial projects, design, pop culture, ideas from vloggers, Instagram and computer games in the 21st century, and creates a single visual language — a common set of themes, ideas and styles. The confrontation and dialogue between the artist and technology gives rise to a new story. It’s the reflections over the artistic experience of the past.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I usually get inspired by ideas, and from these ideas, the project subsequently arises. I wish to speak out on the specific subject, as in my projects ‘Exotic or non-exotic’ or ‘River’. Naturally, improvisation is necessary during the work. It kind of turns on our inner feelings and helps to speak more accurately.”
What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?
“I work a lot with acrylic, watercolors and digital. I use photos and videos as reference material for my compositions. I often find new ideas, or I make sketches of future paintings in computer programs. Ironically, computer processing of the image provides inspiration for new searches in the material, which leads to the creation of something completely new.”
What does your art mean to you?
"First of all, art for me is a language of communication, without which it is impossible to exist. Since childhood, I’ve been interested in studying paintings as a language; very figurative, bright, not requiring translation. But it sometimes requires knowledge and explanations.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“This is a complex question. My favorite work is the one where the statement matches the content most closely. Color preferences may vary. Today, it is ‘The Butterfly Effect. Metamorphoses’. This is a new project, a short statement in which I wanted to express a small message: we are often like big unreasonable children. From a slight whistle or movement, everything can change irreversibly, like a ‘butterfly effect’.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I recently updated my artist CV and was surprised that for the last 20 years, I’ve had solo exhibitions almost every year. One of the most iconic was in 2005, ‘L'esprit de l'art moderne’ at the Galerie Bartha-Senarclens, Geneva. Mr. de Bartha is a specialist in the field of Art Nouveau. At that time, this period was very inspiring to me. To some extent, my dream came true - my works, featuring the furniture objects of the Nouveau period inspired by the Art Nouveau period, were among the exhibited pieces. It was an unusual experience. The exhibition turned out to be bright and very successful.
Another exhibition, ‘Spring Garden’ at the Moscow State University Museum was my first exhibition in my childhood city. There were many visitors and the space was beautiful. However, with the exception of a few paintings that are now installed in the Savoy Hotel in Moscow, the rest of the works in the suspensions, so to speak. They are waiting for their time.
Probably the most cheerful and light exhibition was dedicated to the female portrait. It was arranged by my daughter, in the Apsara gallery in Geneva, which belonged to the editor of the Revue Cités. Almost all of the works were done in watercolor and a few in acrylic. The exhibition was imbued with a youthful spirit and lightness. You can read about it here.”
Website: www.lvova-art.com
Instagram: @lvovamaria
