Editorial
The 8th issue of Slevin is really special to me. It marks a time of spiritual growth and strength after dealing with the loss of my dad, some tough mental health challenges, and changing career paths.
This issue really reflects my goal of embracing empathy and recognizing how everything in life is deeply connected.
I’m incredibly thankful to all the amazing artists who shared their work for this issue. I also want to say sorry for the delay in getting it out and express my heartfelt appreciation for your understanding and patience. Thank you!
Slevin Magazine
Publisher: Santi P. R.
Creative director & Designer: Santi P. R.
A special thank you to: Bernadette Callanan, Osamu and Gallery Other Fukuoka, Krystina.
© Slevin Magazine No part may be reproduced without prior consent.
Submission: submission@slevinmagazine.com
Website: www.slevinmagazine.com
Instagram: @slevinmagazine
COLETTE POMERLEAU
COLETTE POMERLEAU
COLETTE POMERLEAU
COLETTE POMERLEAU
Colette Pomerleau is an artist born in Las Vegas to lounge musicians, where she grew up thinking that slot machines were meant to be played everywhere. She now floats between the west coast, USA and Berlin to sustain an unhealthy attraction to capture specific things: emotive portraits, peculiar moments and lonely landscapes.
POMERLEAU
JACH
“Out’a Luck Refreshing Soda Marketing Fleet”, 2022 “Idiosyncrasy of Luck” Series Ink on paper digitally intervened. Latex print on canvas. 200 x 248 cm. Edition: 10.
JACH
I am interested in all types of graphic expression, The Dada movement, post-war American artists, and pop art appeal to me especially. I am attracted by the beautiful plasticity of typography and its power to transmit ideas. Barbara Kruger is a fundamental reference in my work due to the fact that we share the same background in editorial design; her career has paved the way for artists like me.
I studied economics and succeeded in cultural entrepreneurship and art media, but I came to realize that creating art is my true purpose. Those learnings, though, have become the essence of my artistic proposal serving as the fundamental driver to question people’s relationship with Money, Media, People, and even God.
I believe that as a society we haven’t yet realized that we are not the architects of our own destiny, on the contrary, we are merely creatures of circumstances.
“Luck Favors” 2022 “Idiosyncrasy of Luck” Series Digital composition. Latex print on canvas. 75 x 60 cm. Edition: 10.
Sovereignty is, to me, the biggest fallacy we have told ourselves. With my work, I intend to denounce this shortcoming, this defective relationship we have with reality.
I am not interested in depicting my roots or my past. I do not want my work to be related to any country, much less an ethnicity or a particular tradition. I don’t belong to any ideological, artistic, or political group. My message intends to tap into today’s Human Condition, that is why I use everyday objects and references, it’s also why I have adopted the universal language: English.
Though each of my pieces represents a whole idea, my aim is to present the audience with a greater ideological corollary. In attempting such a purpose, I have resorted to the use of my own exhibition space; the creation of artist books, polyptychs, urban interventions, video art, GIFbased NFTs, and other art mediums.
ADITYA SADASHIV
ADITYA SADASHIV
IRENE
IRENE FEBRY Imaji Dunia Fana
Microcosm I
How long have you been making art?
I’ve been making art as a student & hobbyist for 17 years I think, ever since I was introduced to it in high school. However, I didn’t pursue it with consistency until 2020, when the pandemic hit and I made the decision to give it a try at becoming an artist.
How did you become interested in mixed media art?
I get bored quite easily and I like many things at once. Mixed media art allows me to combine all of my explorations and interests, and let me create whenever and wherever, not limited to paint, canvas, or my studio.
Tell me more about the works that you’ve termed “Microcosm”, what are some of the underlying ideas behind them?
The idea of microcosm was born during the period when I was making art without the purpose of exhibiting. I was living in my own bubble, and I just wanted to create my world, made of colours and shapes. I was inspired by a quote from Confucius, “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, so long as you don’t stop”, it encouraged me a lot when I realized how slow I am as a person. The process of making microcosm started with just a small piece of paper, which then grew in size & detail and created a world of colours and shapes that interact with each other and form relationships & dynamics. Much of the materials I used to create these works were donated by my friends, who were, and some still are, part of my world. When I look at the works, it makes me reminisce about them.
Microcosm II
Microcosm III
Microcosm V
How long did you take to work on the Microcosm series?
It’s difficult to estimate this because I had lots of on and off on this series back then, but I’d say an intensive 2-3 years.
What was the experience of making those works?
It’s fun, therapeutic, and sometimes tedious. I questioned myself a lot during the process and it has helped me understand myself better.
Who has inspired you the most during the creative process?
Julie Mehretu, Sarah Sze, and Tara Donovan.
How did you find the materials for your creations? Was it difficult?
Back in university when I started this work, I put boxes around the building
to collect used papers. I got lots of garbage that I couldn’t use at all, but many of my friends became aware of the work I was making and they started donating materials. My lecturer, Salleh Japar, was renovating his apartment and donated an old wallpaper from there. That was very special. I also used my own paintings, drawings, and prints (that I felt were unsuccessful) and reworked them into collage materials. It wasn’t difficult, people are generous, and I always ended up having too many materials.
What is your dream as an artist?
To keep creating and hopefully make artworks that are meaningful to others as much as they are to myself.
- words by: Santi
Microcosm XII
Ocean by Irene Febry
JOLE SPALETRA
IG: @other_jp
Fukuoka, Japan
GALLERY OTHER
Gallery Other
There is no place like Japan: the richness of culture, amazing food, architecture, beautiful nature, and of course art!
Fukuoka-based art gallery – OTHER Gallery is a must-visit in the Chuo ward. Featuring several artists from Japan and other parts of the globe, OTHER Gallery has thrived and expanded its name within a short time.
Founded by Osamu Namba on the 6th of June 2021, OTHER Gallery provides a space to showcase fresh contemporary work, live ambient music performances, and artist talk shows.
“It feels like it was something I should have done”, remarked Osamu, when asked about the inspiration for building such a space. This urge turned his dream into reality.
Gallery Other
Could you please tell us about yourself?
Well, I am a Japanese, 45 years old, and my star sign is Pisces.
What inspired you to set up the gallery? I thought it was time to do it.
How long have you been dreaming about opening your gallery?
The expression I was dreaming about may not be appropriate. It feels like it was something I should have done.
What kind of art do you want to show in your gallery?
A gallery where people who come feel good about coming.
What do you look for in artists when selecting for your gallery?
I would like the artists themselves to exhibit what they want to exhibit.
What is the hardest part of starting a gallery?
I wonder if it will attract customers. I hope it will increase gradually.
Do you prefer cats or dogs?
I can’t choose lol.
Do you consider yourself an artist too? I don’t think at all.
What kind of event do you want to hold in your gallery apart from the art show? We plan to do live ambient music and talk shows by artists.
Could you tell us the most inspiring story that you’ve ever heard?
This is a recent story. There is a Japanese artist who was in charge of the music and visuals used in the shows of global designers, but that artist hates being consumed by himself and has been asked by the global designer so far. However, I have continued to decline my merchandising. But he permitted me. I am very happy and excited.
Gallery name : Other
Location : Fukuoka, Japan
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/other_jp/
Are you planning to open another gallery abroad? If so, where would it be?
Next time, I would like to open a store in Seoul, South Korea.
Importance of physical art galleries in a digital world?
Digital has the goodness of digital. However, I think there are many things that you can only get by actually visiting the gallery and seeing it with your own eyes.
How long does it take to set up the gallery?
As for Other gallery, it took me about a year to find a place, depending on the size of the gallery.
Gallery details please?
Hirao Sanso Mansion 1F, 5-4-32 Hirao,
Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka.
Business hours: 12:00 - 19:00. Irregular holidays.
Finally, I would like to thank Santi for giving me such an opportunity. Thank you.
- words by: Santi
AMINE NAIMA
AMINE NAIMA
AMINE NAIMA
Photography: LASALLE College of the Arts and Isa Pengskul
Art Collector, Krystina Lyon’s questions to artist Isa Pengskul in Singapore, April 2024.
How would you describe your art practice before and since completing your MFA?
My practice has always been about self-reflexivity, like how we think about ourselves and in relation to that, how we see the world.
During college I made a lot of random stuff on this topic. For example, one time I made these pair of glasses that had mirrors on both sides of them. On one side you could see yourself, and on the other side the other person could see themselves. So, they were quite useless glasses because you couldn’t see through them. But the point was to get you to reflect on the act of seeing the world and on the act of seeing yourself.
Post-graduating from college I did not really have a lot of time and space to do performance and sculpture things anymore and so my practice changed a bit. At the time I was living on a small island in southern Thailand, which
is where I’m from, and I had been witnessing a lot of destruction of nature there. So, I became interested in exploring natural pigments, painting, and taking pictures of my surroundings. I was probably trying to find ways to reconcile or cope with the loss of those natural landscapes, and exploring ways in which I could reconnect through art.
When I came to do my MA Fine Arts in Singapore, I found I still had that desire to think about our relationships to nature. But now I had a studio again and so the explorations that I did in my undergrad kind of linked up with the things that I did in my time on the island. It resulted in this practice where I was exploring how we view ourselves in the world with a posthumanist lens. Like, how do we view humans and non-humans and what is our place within that web of interconnectedness? I was able to collect materials, make installations, sculptures and performances to explore this topic.
ISA PENGSKUL
My practice has always been about self-reflexivity, like how we think about ourselves and in relation to that, how we see the world. ~ ISA
Photography: LASALLE College of the Arts and Isa
Pengskul
Can you describe how your Thai/American heritage influences your conceptual art practice?
Having lived in Thailand on a small rural island has definitely shaped the way that I think about the world and the priorities that I have. Maybe that’s why philosophies that take into consideration the fact that non-human objects, or nature, or whatever you want to call it, are equally as important as humans are attractive to me. Maybe those philosophies resonate more with me because I was exposed to Buddhist thought and learned that the self is illusory, that we shouldn’t hold on so strongly to the opinions that we have, and that we should respect all things equally. This kind of upbringing potentially made me more open to this line of thinking, I suppose.
At the same time the fact that I went to university in the US really exposed me to ways of
making art that I might not have known about or been interested in otherwise. There I was exposed to a lot of conceptual artists, performance artists, and just like people who were doing weird things. I think that had a lot of impact on the kind of work that I make, which is across many disciplines. I rarely paint or draw, but I do photography, I do performance, I do installations, sculptures, and I feel like the fact that I do all these things and have a more conceptual focus is influenced by having lived in New York.
Your bio says you are “interested in challenging conventional modes of thinking about nature, culture, and the human/ non-human dichotomy” Can you share what you mean by that and maybe give some examples from your art practice?
One of the pieces I think really embodies this idea of blurring the lines between human
Photography: LASALLE College of the Arts and Isa Pengskul
and nature is a piece that I called Becoming coconut. It started as a performative exploration and ended up being a sculpture that has a video inside of it. So it’s basically a coconut, and inside the coconut is a video of me eating the coconut. I feel like this work is very “meta” I guess, for lack of a better word, and it kind of encapsulates the idea that inside of every human is something non-human. And inside of non-human things there’s also the human. We are embedded in each other in ways that are inextricable. I think that Becoming coconut is quite a humorous way to make that statement because it’s just quite absurd to see a video inside of a coconut.
The actual piece came about because I was doing performances where I would wear natural objects and try to figure out new ways to relate to them. So I was wearing a coconut frond and I
went to the market to get a coconut to consume, and while I was doing it I was questioning what it would mean to appear as this semi-human semi-plant in a “human” context of the market. Would that be doing anything? Was I a naturecyborg? Anyway, I ended up with this with this artifact, which was the coconut, and then also I had videoed myself so I had this video of me eating the coconut and I realized that they could be put together.
That’s all to say I’m trying to show the ways in which we are connected, the ways in which one thing influences another. There is no such thing as a human that is not also non-human – a simple example is that even our digestive system relies on so many other organisms to function, the bacteria and the fungi. In that way, we are never fully just human.
What kinds of things inspire you in the early phases of the creation process? Can you share some images about where they lead you?
I like to go on walks. Instead of just staying inside where not a lot of unexpected things happen, going on a walk enables you encounter the unexpected. You can find things on walks – like fallen leaves, weird looking branches, or maybe just make an interesting observation. Part of my practice is to interact with things I find, by maybe photographing them, or bringing them back to the studio to ruminate on. Maybe over time they spark new ideas.
This process of finding and collecting is a large part of a project I’ve been working on recently. Right now I’m doing a collaborative project with two other artists where we collect small everyday objects that we find by chance. We’re going to exhibit them, but the space will function less like an exhibit and more like a library. So the audience can take these objects out and interact with them. Maybe they will inspire you to do different things like writings or photographs, which you can share with us. We wanted to open up space for other people to encounter mundane or forgotten objects and find new connection and appreciation for them. All of the artists involved are very interested in this relationship with the more-than-human world and we want to find ways to challenge the anthropocentric idea that other objects in the world are just tools for us to use.
You have shared with me that your BA degree was in philosophy and fine art (is this correct?). Given that you chose to become an artist and not a philosopher how does your interest in philosophy feed into your work?
Studying philosophy opened up more questions than it ever gave me answers.
I remember at the beginning of the week in metaphysics class, our professor would give us a reading that would present one view of, for example, how time worked. Then at the end of the week he would give us another reading that would be completely opposite. One might be like “time is linear” and the other would be like “no, time is a block and everything
ISA PENGSKUL
“Kissing Plants”
already happened.” It would just kind of like blow my mind that you could think about something so fundamental so differently, and then not know which one was correct.
So I suppose philosophy gave me the ability to rest with uneasiness. It was kind of a call to be humbler, I suppose, in my approach to knowledge, and to life in general. To feel like it’s OK, that I don’t have all the answers. Maybe it’s better to not presume that I have all the answers anyway, you know. Because when we presume that we have all the answers we think that we can control everything, and we do things like create mega construction projects that severely damage
ecosystems that we depend on. It can be dangerous when we’re so sure that we can predict what will happen, and that even if we can’t predict it, then we’ll still be able to control or mitigate all the outcomes.
Yeah, so I think that humility and knowing that you don’t know everything feeds into my work and echoes the posthumanist philosophies I keep mentioning. When I make weird things that subvert our expectations, the goal is to make us realize that there’s more to things than we may initially think. It allows us to realize our knowledge isn’t necessarily complete. Things are complicated, basically.
ISA PENGSKUL
Artist
Isa Pengskul questions art collector Krystina Lyon, Singapore, April 2024
Are there specific themes or genres that particularly resonate with you in your collection?
When I look at my collection, I can see that the works cluster around certain themes, but it wasn’t intentional at the time I was buying them. That’s part of the appeal in collecting for me. I find myself in front of an artwork that “speaks” to me and when I finally hang it at home, I can consider what was it that appealed to me. For instance, I notice that my collection has a very personal resonance and reflects the fact that my home has been in Southeast Asia for over 30 years. I grew up in the Philippines, live in Singapore and travel extensively in the region. The other noticeable feature is that they are mostly by Southeast Asian women artists. I notice, now that you ask, that most of the works are figurative and I have recently branched out into other areas such as conceptual art, themes that relate to identity and cultural heritage, gender equality, social and political commentary, nature and the environment, intersectionality, decolonisation. The only common link is that they are by contemporary women artists thatare Southeast Asian. Actually, I do have a few works by male artists to balance out the energy!!
What roles do you believe art plays in society, and how do you see your collection contributing to that?
I can’t really say what role art plays in society as there are so many diNerent societies, all at diNerent stages of evolution in diNerent parts of the world with diNerent traditions, histories etc. It’s complicated and nuanced and deserves more thought than a quick comeback. I would never presume to know what I can tell you is what role art plays in
my life. I was never particularly interested in history either contemporary or further back. My least favourite subject at school although I was also hopeless at the sciences and maths. Anything that was fact based was a chore for me. I always preferred art, literature and sports. But when I started my journey as a volunteer docent at the museums and galleries here in Singapore I became interested in the geo-political context of post WWII history in Southeast Asia, and was motivated to do a Masters in Southeast Asian Art Histories. I never think of my collection as contributing to any big scheme of things but as a microcosm of contemporary Southeast Asian female art history it might makes some sense. I am considering lending some of my artwork to institutions like my alma mater, Wellesley near Boston as they have a significant number of Asian students, and I noticed a lack of representation from this part of the world in their art museum.
Gridthiya Gaweewong AKA Jeab, one of the Festival Directors of the recent Thailand Biennale said to the participating biennale artists “your creativity has ignited imaginations, challenged perspectives, and reminded us of the profound power of art to inspire, provoke, and unite”. That seems to sum it up perfectly!
What do you find most fulfilling about being an art collector, and what keeps you motivated to continue collecting?
The most fulfilling thing about being an art collector is watching an artist’s career develop. It is always surprising and very gratifying to see how it unfolds especially when they become successful and get recognition both at home and abroad. I’m never thinking about the value of my collection, I’m thinking more in terms of the artist’s desire to be seen and heard. It’s very easy to
keep motivated to continue collecting as there are always new and fascinating artists to discover. The limiting factor is, of course, funds and space within your home. I’m a collector that lives with my art. I don’t buy for investment, and I don’t have a storage facility. I’m very grateful that a friend has given me some extra space when we downsized from a house to an apartment and ran out of wall space. I would also add that I enjoy meeting artists and being able to discuss their work with them. What gives me a lot of satisfaction is being able to connect artists whose work I admire with other artists. My thesis was about women’s art collectives in the Philippines and Thailand. I learnt much about the strategies they developed to overcome the usual problems of mediating the gendered art eco-systems in their countries in the 20th century. I think those strategies remain useful for marginalised female artists wherever they are. One of the main ways is by connecting with other like-minded women in the art w orld.
How do you see the future of art collecting evolving, especially in the digital age?
I don’t really look at the big scheme of things. If I take my own collection’s evolution, however, I can see that I flirt with new media such as NFTS, digital artworks, and I get caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment but what I’m observing is that my own interest is still firmly in traditional art media like photography, prints, oils, found objects, watercolors, sculpture, installations, ceramics. I do recognise that each contribute in their own way and reflect a growing relationship between art, culture, and technology but I am still happier without an additional interface between me and the artwork.
What advice would you give to someone who’s interested in starting their own art collection?
I would give the same advice someone gave me when I bought my very first photograph at the age of 23 or 24 in London at the Photographers’ Gallery. And that is only buy what you really love, never buy something because you hope it will increase in value. But there are many motivations for collecting and mine is only one amongst many. The other piece of advice I’d give is more a heads up that you should recognize your tastes will change over time. Sometimes the artwork grows with you, sometimes you grow out of each other.
HOLMES
‘Never Learning’ comes as HOLMES’ second release and is a staple piece to emphasise the music he is showcasing. This record comes in strong with driven bassline and drums as well as softer but purposeful vocals and quickly swells to an anthemic chorus that is hard to forget.
The record discusses two ex lovers that can’t seem to escape the grip of each other. They both know they should stay away but something just keeps pulling them in further as their fire keeps reigniting.
With inspiration from the likes of Fatherson, Sam Fender and Catfish and the Bottlemen, this release stands tall amongst them creating a strong case for HOLMES’ rise in the music industry. The Indie Pop Rock artist is set to carry the momentum of this release going forward and make a name for himself.
“This is still just the beginning, but I feel like it’s a very good place to start.” - HOLMES
FLORAL CROW
Just a Little Bit – a nightmare disco freakout track from Floral Cow.
The premier single from Floral Cow’s upcoming EP, Wasteland Disco, is a swirling melody of slinky disco and dream pop - an attempt to groove while everything is burning down. Wasteland Disco is out everywhere on August 29th. You can stream Just a Little Bit on Spotify.
Floral Cow is the moniker for Bloomington, IN based artist and experimental filmmaker Dominick Rivers.
You can keep up with Dominick and his work at: www.floralcow.com or @floralcowstudios on Instagram.
Echoes of my alienation
HANA ALMILI
ALMILI
HANA ALMILI
Hana Almilli is a multimedia artist, textile designer, and poet based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2019, she graduated from California College of Arts, centering on Textiles and Creative Writing. Currently, she is engaged with the Master’s program in Arts and Culture Management from Rome Business School, Italy.
Hana’s research-based practice explores the idea of recreating affected, and resurrected identities through the material culture of textile, and assemblages. Belonging to Turkish, Syrian, Kurdish, and Saudi lineage, she was persuaded with questions of identity. Enquiring into perpetual alienation, her ideology developed into discovering, and representing the term Al Ghorba (estrangement in a foreign land). Consequently, Hana’s visual structure interrogates nostalgia through weaving, dyeing, embroidering, and photography.
In 2019, Hana conducted her first solo show, Sada Kharaet Ghorbati at Isabelle Percy West Gallery in Oakland, California. She self-published the collection of her poetry as a book, Al Ghorba.
Echoes of my alienation
by: HANA ALMILI
Echoes of my alienation
ROCIO GARCIA
“You understand that it is not about ignoring but recognizing and accepting. You embrace what really happens to you and you accept, that it hurts even more, but you let it flow and little by little you let go of what has to go, in order to make room for what belongs to you by nature.” - Rocio Garcia
The Power of Thoughts
My inspiration for creating this piece overthinking. Represented in a geometric concept is the effect and power that thoughts can have. The impact of uncontrolled negative thoughts and the importance to reframe our narrative and mind towards loving and caring thoughts to ourselves.
The following descriptions exemplify the meaning/essence of creating this piece:
“Years ago, my world collapsed. It is still difficult to describe this experience, I think the best description of that feeling it’s seeing yourself in the mirror and not recognizing who you’re looking at all. It seems that your soul is so fragmented that you do not distinguish what you feel, you are just drowning in your thoughts.
Over and over, you go over it in your head. What have you done wrong, you relive scenarios trying to explain what happened, but nothing changes, it’s the same result. The most painful thing is letting yourself go into an abyss of insecurities and negative thoughts that only sink you deeper. But it’s inevitable not to when you don’t know who you are, you feel broken.
You try to cope with that pain, you try to forget it and you try to do what used to work for you in times you felt were painful, but nothing works. Even doing what you are passionate about and filling you with joy, you now do it automatically and feel nothing. It’s terrifying because it’s not that you don’t want to get out of the void, you just feel like you can’t, you don’t know how to deal with it.
Day after day the thoughts consume you, you repeat to yourself that you are not enough, you feel less, ignored, underestimated, insecure, and you doubt your abilities and your judgment, and therefore, everything you do is wrong. You try to ignore it and see the positive, but it just doesn’t work.
ROCIO GARCIA
The Power of Thoughts
The mind plays you grudgingly and only retains or chooses the things that were meaningful to you and perpetually clung to them unconsciously, it is capricious and refuses to flow with life.
Now imagine being in that mental and physical state every day. It is too much; the body and the spirit can no longer carry that weight. The burden is so great that you have no choice but to face it. You understand that it is not about ignoring but recognizing and accepting. You embrace what really happens to you and you accept, that it hurts even more, but you let it flow and little by little you let go of what has to go, in order to make room for what belongs to you by nature.
There are still fragments of experiences that mark your life and you continue to learn, but you understand that every process takes time and is not the same for everyone. In addition, it is different, you see it with different eyes, with another feeling.You die so you can be reborn, and that’s what this one is about. Journey, continue to be reborn, and flourish.
Everything happens perfectly and the way it should happen. The lessons you have not learned yet will continue to be presented with the same face and situation. But ultimately everything lived is necessary to live it to grow.”
The City
By: Rocio Garcia
NATASHA VON BRAUN
NATASHA VON BRAUN
SONY RAI
What name do your friends call you?
They just call me Sony but when it comes to teasing me they call me Samsung, Nokia, and all the brands they know of.
How did you begin pursuing your passion for art as an artist/ painter?
As a kid carrying art was my hobby then it became my passion the more I delved into its ocean.
What inspired you to become an artist?
Art was something I loved while I was pursuing it BUT it touched my heart and soul when I heard my mom saying, “ You have paid the debt of my nourishing ”. She said that when I made a woodcut print of my late maternal grandfather as a symbolic work of art that portrayed my Kirati culture and beliefs. That sentence rings in my head every time I feel low.
Could you please explain your ideation process for creating paintings?
Inspiration is the key point for me, doodle a few sketches, brainstorm the ideas and the rest is the technique process.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you like to do in your daily life? ART and TRAVEL
What is your zodiac sign?
The GEMINI
Do you prefer coffee with or without milk? Hot or iced?
Well, I prefer drip coffee over machine-made coffee.
What do you hope to achieve as an artist?
I want my artworks to act as a bridge between the generation gap.
When was the first time you exhibited your work?
I exhibited my first watercolor in my hometown with the senior artists when I was still in school. I still remember how cool they looked while explaining their artwork and suggesting me with my work.
What kind of music do you listen to when you paint, and how does it make you feel?
I love listening to music and I usually listen to podcasts and novels in audio too. But to be honest, when I start to work I completely zone out, I don’t listen
to the sounds except my tools carving.
What kind of artwork do you enjoy the most?
I have a variety of artworks in my mind but when it comes to woodcut I love Mokuhanga the most. I also love surrealistic, impressionist, and conceptual artworks.
Who are your favorite artists?
Rembrandt, Osama sugiyama and Ratan Kumar Rai
Do you paint every day, and how do you start your daily routine?
I start my day with a warm glass of water. As for my artistic pursuits, I find joy in doodling drawings, especially during my leisure time. I adapt my schedule based on my projects and prioritize accordingly. Additionally, I have a fondness for working with watercolor, ceramics, and textiles, which allows me to explore diverse artistic expressions and mediums. Can you please tell us about the techniques you use in your paintings?
I usually prefer to work with printmaking techniques, with woodcuts being my primary medium.
Was there a particular artwork that was particularly difficult to finish, and if so, how long did it take?
I think each and every work takes its own time to grow. However, I think working with the things that are close to someone’s heart is very challenging emotionally and it also depends on the project and technique artists use.
How did you feel when you had the opportunity to exhibit your work in Yogyakarta, Indonesia last time? It was incredible, all thanks to the cu-
rators Hitman Gurung, Sheelasha Rajbhandari, Alia Swastik, and the Jogja Biennale family. My work could be showcased on a new platform where the efforts and hardships of my ancestors are displayed in a sweet, simple, yet powerful manner. The audience there also could relate to my work, I found it was quite close to their own which made me very excited and curious.
Are there any upcoming exhibitions you would like to share with us?
I am currently conducting research on indigenous cultures, traditions, migrations, and the concept of home. Additionally, I am working on a separate project focused on teaching art to students who have never studied the subject before. It is a fulfilling experience to explore the rich heritage of Indigenous communities while also providing artistic education and inspiration to these students.
If you were granted three wishes from Aladdin’s genie, what would they be?
The only thing I want to do is to work and travel without worrying about anything. Create lots of work and travel wherever it takes me to.
Who is your superhero?
My Maternal Grandfather. He was someone who himself was a symbol of discipline, love, respect, and inspiration.
Are you interested in trying new techniques for painting or creating artwork?
I want to explore as many printmaking techniques as possible and want to ex-
periment with the possibilities of combining the techniques with each other.
How do you tap into your creative world?
Every time people asked me where I belonged from, the migration process itself made me wonder about the things I had experienced; the cultures, and traditions our ancestors have carried down to us and what we are carrying forward to the next generations have always made me curious. The curiosity about my ancestor’s daily life such as how they used to weave clothes and create such pretty designs on textiles made me think about how they did it back in those days, how we are doing it now and how will the next generations take it forward! So, I try to insert the generational things in my works in the form of artwork which hopefully will remain for years to come. I want my cultural roots, emotions, and inspirations to live on so I delve into the creative world where my artworks still remain there carrying my hope of light.
Can you tell us about the art community in your hometown?
My hometown has artists from different generations, some of them are selftaught artists and they too make a living from that. Some of them are very active in the art field of Nepal. I think the concept of typical or classic art has changed somewhat and the acceptance of new media is in the process.
Any last words?
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to every individual who has
supported and encouraged me to push myself to the fullest. Your understanding and connection to my culture have been invaluable. I would also like to extend my thanks to Santi and the Slevin Magazine team for providing me with the opportunity to share my thoughts and words through their amazing work. Your support means the world to me, and I am truly grateful for your belief in my abilities.
VINCENZO COHEN
ALEXANDER TSVETKOVICH
- Selfie -
DACIANA LIPAI
Angels
LIPAI
Pretend
ROBI GOTTLIEB-CAHEN
Although Robi Gottlieb-Cahen has been creating paintings and drawings since the age of seven, he was reborn at forty after destroying all previous work to start from scratch. His artistic venture is distinct in part by his process of layering and unveiling, using inks and acids. These steps in his practice ultimately uncover beauty within imperfection, often working within the themes of sexuality, memory, and death.
Bukott-angyal
BRIGITTA KÖRMÖNDI
KÖRMÖNDI
Lámpa
DAVID MARTIN
MARTIN
DAVID MARTIN
Crimson Lemons REILI EVART
Lemons -
Crimson
REILI EVART
- Crimson Lemons -
