Artist and ceramicist Nina Stasiukova shares her impressions of the “Voice of the Forest” art residency, organized by AO Pădurea Noastră in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut.
My entire life has been connected with art in one way or another. I am an artist, painter, and ceramicist. I have many years of experience working with painting, ceramics, color, form, and materials. I have never viewed art simply as a profession. For me, it is a natural way of living, thinking, and communicating with the world around me.
When I first arrived here, in the forest, I felt a sense of calm above all. Nothing here makes you rush. Gradually, you start thinking less about everyday matters and focusing more on what you truly want to create. For an artist, this is a very valuable state of mind.
The theme of the project is very close to me. I think the forest really does speak to people, just not in words. It speaks through the texture of bark, the shape of branches, the earth, water, light, and traces of time. You simply need to stop and learn to notice it.
During the residency, I worked with ceramics and graphic art as part of the “Forest Memory Lab” project. I wanted to turn to very ancient images and symbols that have existed in our culture for thousands of years. That is why motifs connected with the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture appeared in my work.
I made vessels, bowls, and other ceramic forms. I like this contrast — warm earth and a thin, light line. For me, these lines are not simply decoration. They carry memories of water, earth, plants, the tree of life, human beings, and their connection with nature.
Alongside ceramics, I continued working with painting — creating oil paintings on canvas and making graphic sketches.
I think it is very important when different generations can not simply teach one another, but actually exchange with each other. Young people give you new energy, while you can share what you have accumulated throughout your life.
It was especially interesting to see how different forms of art gradually came together here. Music sounded among the trees. Watercolors blended into the natural surroundings. My ceramics and paintings found their place in the domed house with its overhead natural light, creating an exhibition.
I saw talented, profound, and very different young people around me. And this gives me great faith in the future.
Работы Нины Стасюковой созданные во время Арт-резиденции
