When in the middle of a gray wall one day appear strange flowers or beautiful patterns, life is changing. The truth is not a new one-beauty really changes the world. About her story, paintings on the walls, the architecture of Zhytomyr has told us an artist Anastasia Savenets,whose artworks you have surely seen. Even if you hadn’t taken photos on their background
«I am painting all my life long, from the very childhood. When I went to school, was getting ready to entrance the college of culture to become an artist, learnt the academic drawing, painting, composition. I was always aware that it was mine, that I liked it. Actually, later I have changed my mind and went to the architectural, but nevertheless I do not regret. At the moment in my work art and architecture are closely connected. The architectural education helps me in my job, because drawing on the walls, I use my knowledge in the area of the building materials and architectural constructions»
«I am engaged only in painting the walls, have my team, and trying to develop and enlarge the number of works. The pictures are ordered all around Ukraine: in Zhytomyr and region, in Kyiv, to the apartments and offices. Condominiums had addressed us to paint the walls of the porch or a house, but now everything is just at its start- both the condominiums and its desire to change something. Sometimes it is hard to convey your point of view, as the residents of the house are different: someone agrees, someone doesn’t»
«To participate in a big festival, where the artists represent their murals-is my dream and goal. But at the moment in Ukraine, and even in the world the organisators of such festivals are very limited in a budget and don’t do an open call. They do not gather the requests from the free artists, who would like to take part, but invite at their discretion-choose the artists by themselves. As usual, those who are in this industry for a very long time, who has just creative works,and is popular. I have not so many works-it physically impossible for me to do lots of art work. Family, child, work, I can’t do one mural for a month,like someone does. People come up to such a wave, when it is well paid, and you can work in your own manner, in your special style and it is profitable. I have to grow to such a level»
«Am I self-critical? Relatively. Not only an artist, but everyone should self-critical. You have to fill measure in everything, and never go too far-hold on to the golden mean. There those, who will catch a star, and then don’t see anything beside them. But there are others»
«Speaking about my style and my art projects,I don’t listen to anyone. Sometimes I am said: « There is a black background over there,too bright or « it’s dull,blood or a skull» and I say: « Get out of me! That is mine,I want to draw this way!» For people I draw suns, flowers-the way they want. But when it concerns my style,so you like it,or you don’t. That it!» ( Laughs)
«It is a boundary between creative and commercial, but in my life it isn’t so clear and it doesn’t depress me like the majority of artists. For example, there are artists who work in an abstract, untraditional style, which people who aren’t connecetd with art, not very accustomed to. When I talk with them on this topic, they say: « I am absolutely against painting something else apart my style. Thata it! If they want-I draw, if not-I go to another client». I can’t do that, especially the last days. Firstly, I take such orders that I like. Secondly, I get a huge inspiration and pleasure that I had shared my own energy and beauty into the interiors of the people’s offices, homes. I watch how the space changes, and the painting stays with my energy, with a piece of my soul. For me, it is a mission»
«Recently I was addressed by a woman on the eighth month of pregnancy who has decided to give a birth to her child at home. She decided to make in her house a room, where she will give a birth, and to get it ready energetically,to decorate it with mandala. It was a great responsibility for me-its an uneasy thing to paint the room, in which a new life would be born. It is needed to give such an energy, a symbol of life,so that it wouldn’t be simply interesting. Though it’s not my style,I was pleased. It was like a present for me»
«Mission is such a feeling that always lives in your heart. My mission is to fill the space for that it would be more vivid d and bright,for those people who are involved in it,to be filled with something good. And would be inspired to give this feelings to others»
«Where have I seen first mural? In Zhytomyr. I live here all my life. (Laughs) One day in my childhood in my grannys village I had painted a house. I was very small, nearly eleven-twelve years old. Repainted the cartoons with the gouache on the walls. Then went away, looked and realised that I managed to draw everything in correct proportions. I thought: « Well, maybe I will do this in the future». Thats not even a village, just three houses. There were no neighbours, just my granny, and she is not very emotional. She even didn’t react to my «petrykivka». Well, a child had drawn something. In my family there is no creative surrounding, that’s why I usually felt awkward. That, I have thought of and planned,had never converged with the thoughts of my relatives. There was no special reaction at all. Except my mom, who had seen my talent,and due to whom I have got an education. But there is no creative people in my family, who can feel the world the way I do»
«Then was an architectural. You get into a space and think that you will work as an architect, that there is some meaning in this,some possibilities,some desire. By the end of my studying, I clearly understood that I would never work as an architect. Really! Too boring, too difficult. And so when I was graduating from the university,I had just defended my diploma in Lviv,and the next day I packed my bags and went. I went back to get my documents in a year and a half. The last six months of my studying I was only thinking about painting on the walls»
«Mural will never get out of fashion, art will never get out of fashion, and the picture were sold and will be sold. Maybe I could even be engaged in design of the intetiors and architecture, besides murals, but now it is boring for me»
«I have studied architecture in Zhytomyr. We «by Mokrytskyi» had gone all Zhytomyr at the architectural practice. The architecture of Zhytomyr is amazing, but very small has left till nowadays,there had left only several remainings. Though we have the old houses, especially in the area of Berdychivska, park and Zamkova Hora. There are something to look on, but either the houses are almost ruined, or they are modernized»
«Even to the absolutely ruined house a pristine look can be returned. I went to Drezden to the excursion and saw how they rebuilt a temple after the war. After a ruined building has left only a piece of a buttress,and they rebuilt everything brick by brick. It is worth doing this,because it is a respect to the masters’ work, a historical memory»
«You have to watch the entire architectural composition. When everything is absolutely wiped into the groung, so maybe there is no use to rebuild at all, but if there are similar buildings nearby, or it was an accent which has disappeared,so it must be rebilt. Besides, a spiritual meaning is also very important. For instance,I am sure that the Cathedral of Our Lafy in Paris would be quickly rebuilt,because there are such places,buildings-symbols. They save in themselves so many energy,so many memories. Though for me it is quite an arguing moment, which clearly presents the priorities in the society: people still see the necessity to put material things into the spiritual. Along with this people invest money into the restoration of the monuments, and do not see the burning social problems, which need to be solved»
«My favourite place is Holova Chatskogo and the rock climbing area opposite it, in Denyshi.I like Zamkova Hora…I simply love Zhytomyr a lot,I am its fan- my friends often laugh at me because of this. Two murals in Zhytomyr I did with my own money. Actually lots of people, who create our town, do something with their own money, just because of «a huge love»
«We need «a fresh blood». We need lots of tourists,of people who would walk around and ask questions and create a demand. Now everything is doing for us, for the citizens of Zhytomyr. But there are lots of people who come here and say: « Yes, your town is great. There are lots of interesting things, and the progress is vivid.» But such people are not mentioned, there is no orientation on them. All attention is given to those, who have already been here and know where to go and what to see. But we have no guidebooks,no souvenirs,no leaflets to get into your hands and say: « That is Zhytomyr. You have to go there and to see this»
«Copyright in Ukraine raises lots of questions. It can be treated meticulously, but what is the purpose…The culture of the relations in the creative atmosphere can be very low. For instance, if we say about graphic design, so even the clients do not want to buy photos, cliparts and illustrations. Very often then show an idea, that if you have an opportunity to download,so that to steal,so why do you need to but it…Though the copyright is needed. Its an Intellectual property, and now all around the world the intellectual property is more valuable than the material one. The ideas are more valuable than the techniques»
«I don’t want to live abroad. A business trip for me is Ok, as it is comfortable to live in Zhytomyr. Here it convenient, calm and cheap. For me a possibility to go and work somewhere but return here is Ok»
«I would like to do an entire restoration of the buildings, not just floor by floor, but the whole building in one style. And the problem with the insulation by pieces, when the building is insulated by fragments. And the adjoining territories, but sometimes it is horrible. In Zhytomyr I saw lots of the yards, know its each corner. I saw such places where the town council is not attached at all, аnd so the residents try to organise their surroundings by themselves. There appears such a host, who organises people, and there everything is done: a playground for children, fence, flowers grow. Everything is great there! And then you go just three metres further into another yard, and there is a hollow place there. A person decorates a place, so everything depends on desire and strength of those people who create the surrounding»
«I painted by the order of the developers, tenants. Painted on the walls of the library named after Olzhych- it is a social project from the public organisation «The Locals» by the initiative of Elijah Hrytzaniyk along with Maksym Vikrachyk»
«I don’t like Lviv. Maybe because I have lived there. To go there for several days and to walk in the centre, but live…I have spoken to lots of architects from Lviv, and I think that the attitude from the architects of Zhytomyr to their town is a bit better. The citizens of Zhytomyr love their town, but they underestimate it. I have spoken to lots of people who now live in many other places. They all state that living in Zhytomyr is very comfortable, convenient, easy, simple. To get to Kyiv you need only an hour. Isn’t it comfortable? How wouldn’t you love Zhytomyr when it is an hour to the capital?» ( Laughs)
«My circle of conversation- are socially active people, enthusiasts, who create a lot in the town. I see the real changes which are going on. But many people don’t see them, as they are not un that circle. Those people aren’t got to the centre very often, and aren’t interested in any cultural events. Such people say: «Oh, what is there in that Zhytomyr». I always offer to count our «interestings»: «Оne, two, three,five,ten…» And people sometimes get really shocked»
«The citizens of Zhytomyr should more often «open the windows and look outside»: should watch more what people are doing, to speak more. Our people are closed, and we have to take over experience and learn. We have a huge problem: people are afraid of competition. No, noone is a competitor! These are colleagues, friends, there is job and money for everyone! We have to be friends and to create communities»
