Alisa Gvozdeva
Alisa, reflected in one of her ceramics.
Alisa Gvozdeva was born in St. Petersburg in 1996. She graduated from the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences under the Cognitive Studies program at St. Petersburg State University. Despite the scientific angle of her studies, the liberal education system allowed the artist to gain knowledge in the fields of art, anthropology, and philosophy. Alisa creates compositionally complicated drawings and ironic ceramic objects. While creating her art, she is looking for a moment of unity of space and time. This process resembles meditation: while attention is concentrated on one point, the boundaries between the objects are blurred yet there is unity. The absence of initial ideas at the beginning of the work, an unconscious attitude to what she is doing, opens the flow of the subconscious, expressed in archetypal images that arise.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your work?
The process of making my works is always different, often it is a spontaneous idea, which comes to my mind before or during work. I like to make something new, it's always a challenge for me to try some new techniques or compositions. In spite of the difference between every work I produce, I usually enjoy the process no matter what, I discover the unconscious with no struggle but calm and joy.
Alisa Gvozdeva
Still Life, 2020.
Acrylics and gouache on paper.
23 x 27 inches (58.42 x 68.58 cm).
$600
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, I am working on some quite complex projects related to the Russian cultural tradition of going to sauna, so-called 'banya'. One of the works is a fountain which is bigger than everything that I have every made before in ceramics, so I already failed during my first try, but I’m trying to keep calm and go on.
Your work is so heavily layered; how do you go about the process of
building your work up? When do you feel as though a work is finished?
Ceramics as well as painting are making me happy. Painting is always about your mind, ceramics is more physical and technical, that's why it teaches you to be more patient. I’m really grateful for these teaching coming into my life and art practice. Because of making ceramics, I became slower and more conscious about my paintings too.
A ceramic piece by Alisa.
What are some references you draw upon in your work? Are there any themes in particular that you like to focus on when creating?
I usually don’t have references, ideas come usually from everyday life. While observing it, I search for some non-obvious connections between things like nature, structures and memories.
Where are some of your favorite spaces that support contemporary art or design? Now that the art has an online presence has that changed?
I believe in the internet in terms of support, it's the best place to find people with same views on life and art. I could only recommend Sample gallery in Moscow, they are supporting young artists like me with no experience, just believing in them and that inspires me a lot.
Do you have any shows coming up? Anything else you would like to share?
With Sample gallery I’m taking a part in auction coming at the end of May at MoMA Moscow.
Alisa Gvozdeva’s work is included in our show “The Alternative States,” May 3 - June 30, 2021. Visit her website and Instagram (@vizhu.figu) to see more of her work.