IN THE STUDIO WITH ARTIST VALERIE SAVCHITS
Latvian-born artist Valerie Savchits uses a wide array of materials and techniques in her artwork including oil paint, spray paint and neon installations. Her work has been exhibited at the Tate Modern, Saatchi Gallery and BBC Live, as well as many digital publications. Here she talks with us about what drives her work, and how she gets her art out there to the world.
1. You grew up in Latvia and last year graduated with a degree in Visual Arts (congrats!), can you tell us how your upbringing in a post-Soviet society inspired your career as an artist?
Thank you! It was literally one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life – I would have never imagined that I’d graduate from a UK university and achieve First Class Honours in Arts.
Well, I was born in 1993 to a Russian-speaking family of Belarus, Ukrainian and Russian descent in Riga, Latvia. Throughout my childhood older generations were always trying to affect the Millennials’ way of thinking; they were hoping to convey and transfer the values and morals that they were tied up with since their birth.
Between 1997-2004 I was truly enjoying my art classes but always craved for more, I craved for expression, for freedom and colour. I learned to appreciate the official notion of beauty and how to strive for harmony but my inner voice was telling me that I should go against those rules and principles, challenge traditional boundaries, turn away from the methods I knew and just go crazy.
Under the communist regime, any disproportionality or deviation from established norms within existing ideologies in our community was absolutely unacceptable and subsequently did not fit into the overall picture of the world – fortunately, this situation has slightly changed after the collapse of the USSR, but it wasn’t genuine.
Another theme that influenced my work was having the privilege of being a citizen of the country where you were born. Even though I wasn’t an immigrant, I was still officially counted as a non-citizen of the country I was born in and held an alien’s passport until 2010. I’m so grateful that I can use art as an instrument to voice my concerns.
2. We see you use many different types of media in your art, what is the focus of your creative process?
I love using different types of media. As an artist, my job is to experiment and utilise techniques that I’m not familiar with. When it comes to creating another piece, I try to keep in mind that my focus is to prevent myself from making ‘right decisions’ and favour making mistakes during the creative process.
3. Are there any projects you are currently working on that you would like to share?
This month is very busy – I’m currently working on a commissioned piece for a private collector and I have also partnered with one of the most popular British accessory brands to recreate one of their products for their upcoming campaign. I’m always open to creative collaborations both paid and unpaid – it just makes me feel alive when I keep myself busy.
4. Your CV is impressive with your work having been showcased at The Tate Modern, Saatchi Gallery as well as the Affordable Art Fair (UK). Besides exhibitions, what other methods do you use to get your artwork out there to the world?
It might sound very primitive but I’m just Googling things, browsing the Internet every day, looking for different opportunities or calls for art, searching information by hashtags on Instagram and Facebook, and following tons of creative accounts, curators, magazines, blogs, galleries and studios on social media. I’m not addicted to social media, but I must admit it’s very powerful tool that keeps you updated all the time on what’s happening in the art world.
I also subscribe to newsletters on art-related websites, and this is how I actually got into the Tate last year. At that time I received an email from Tate Modern inviting young creatives to take part in their exhibition dedicated to the theme of Future Late.
Another very powerful method in getting your work noticed is definitely giving it out for free. In my first year at uni I used to randomly hang 30×30 cm seascapes with my name and website on the back around Old Riga Town to grab people’s attention. I really enjoyed this experience and had such a positive response from those who picked up my work.
5. Your studio is in a pretty cool co-working space in London, ‘Elephant Hotel’. How has working in such a creative environment benefitted your work?
I love my studio at Hotel Elephant Studio & Gallery. It’s cosy, has its own vibe that I just can’t describe and it’s also located on the mezzanine floor. Besides the fact that the whole thing is supported by the mayor of London, Hotel Elephant’s owners’ mission is to establish Spare Street as a destination that celebrates creative enterprise and artistic production, which I find very motivating and encouraging. I’ve been involved in many creative activities during my residency, and apart from that I also have access to high-quality professional talks and networking events, creative enterprise skills workshops and mentoring sessions. One week ago it was also confirmed that I have been chosen for Hotel Elephant’s commissioning program and I just can’t wait to start working on the piece already.
6. What are some of the challenges you feel young artists face today in building their creative businesses?
Young artists sometimes forget about being themselves; they think that there can be scary implications for not being accepted by society. Being addicted to social media and money-oriented are also, in my personal opinion, some of the most important factors that may lead to difficulties in building their creative businesses. To succeed you just need to be honest with yourself, focus on what you do and don’t pay attention to what other people say about your work, otherwise you will start producing art that doesn’t speak for itself.
7. In what area of your business would love extra support?
It’s all about networking – I would love to have an opportunity to make more professional connections with curators, art collectives and creative individuals from all around the world.
8. Can you tell us about one female creative founder in your community that you would like to shine the spotlight on?
Maria Zemtsova, she is my partner in crime, my friend, my personal photographer, an extremely talented artist who creates mesmerising ceramic sculptures and editor-in-chief of Art Maze Mag
Instagram: @artmazemag // Web: www.artmazemag.com // Maria Zemtsova @maria.zemtsova.
Check out more of Valerie’s work and please show your support!
www.valeriesavchits.com
www.instagram.com/valeriesavchits_artist
https://www.facebook.com/valeriesavchits
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