If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
The Simpsons family because I like their teeth when they laugh, how they get along with each other despite their differences, and in general they seem like they would be fun company.
What’s your go-to guilty pleasure song or artist that you secretly love?
If you could live in any time period, past or future, when would it be?
Out of curiosity, I would prefer to live in the future. We already know enough about the past.
If you suddenly became a superhero, what would your superpower and superhero name be?
I don’t know what the name would be, but my superpower would be being able to sleep until 10-11 am every day. And not having to rush anywhere when I wake up.
What’s the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery tomorrow?
I would sell my car and buy a scooter.
What’s a hobby or skill you’ve always wanted to pick up but never have?
Definitely something related to music, like playing instruments or singing—not professionally, just as a hobby.
If you could master any artistic skill overnight, what would it be?
Sculpture, for sure. I combine a lot of sculptural elements with paintings in my work, and I really lack professional habits and skills in that area.
What’s your dream travel destination, and what would you do there?
Africa. I like their naive art, the colors they use, and their sensibility.
If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and what would you do?
With Elon Musk. I would try to understand how he manages to handle so many different projects at the same time. Also, what of everything he works on has a real perspective for the future, and whether he can really improve human life in the near future.
Can you tell us about your journey as an artist? What inspired you to start creating art?
When I started painting, the print, advertising, and photography industries were much less developed. Photography only existed when you developed the film in a camera. Television was very different. Visual effects, as we know them today, didn’t exist. It was enough to know how to draw or paint, and it already resembled something close to art. I think that’s why I started painting. I wanted to acquire the skill and learn to create something beautiful that would please someone.
Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach starting a new piece?
It starts with a basic idea or scene. Something in my surroundings catches my attention, and I capture it, most often with a camera. Then, based on that, I build something over a long process that should ultimately become art—something multilayered that evokes different emotions. It’s a long process and often unpredictable, meaning the idea changes multiple times from start to finish.
Do you have any rituals or habits that help you stay inspired and productive?
Not really. It’s important for me to have a daily routine of coming to the studio and working. This keeps me productive. If I don’t work for 3-4 days, it becomes a problem, and I need more time to get back into the rhythm.
How would you describe your artistic style, and how has it evolved over time?
In the broadest sense, figurative painting. Within that, it has changed a lot—earlier, it was more surrealism and dreamlike, but now it’s realistic painting with sculptural elements and the use of different materials.
What message or emotion do you aim to convey through your art?
For the past 5-6 years, I’ve been dealing with the phenomenon of memory and nostalgia, which is very present in various vintage and retro styles in design, art, and architecture. What motivates me is the realization that we live in a time that hasn’t articulated its own value system nor any idea of the modern human of the 21st century with their needs, ideals, and desires. In a paradoxical way, for more than a decade, we’ve been continuously looking back at the past instead of trying to imagine the future—what’s to come and the role of modern humans in that future.
What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on, and what did you learn from it?
It was a project I worked on in 2012 called “20th Century—Results,” consisting of nine large-format paintings, each containing an element from the works of the most famous 20th-century painters. Although the project was successful, I learned not to approach exhibition preparation too ambitiously and megalomaniacally. It’s better to work from smaller formats to larger ones when developing an idea, not the other way around.
What accomplishment or piece are you most proud of, and why?
It’s definitely the project I’m working on now, where I’m re-examining nostalgia and social values. I think it already includes over fifty paintings.
How do you see your art fitting into the broader art world or contemporary culture?
As an interesting presentation of some problems, uncertainties, reconsiderations, and everything visual art deals with, especially characteristic of Eastern Europe and the part of the world we belong to.
What role do you think art plays in society, and how do you see yourself contributing to that?
I think it plays a role in spiritual and intellectual development. Art is essentially a measure of how developed a society is, just like scientific research, space programs, and various humanitarian disciplines. And it requires investment in order to exist and develop. So, it represents a kind of prestige reserved for developed societies or individuals. The more time, attention, or money someone can dedicate to art, the more successful and free they are.