Bianca Paraschiv

Interview with artist Bianca Paraschiv —

1. Who are you and what do you do?
I am Bianca Paraschiv, a Romanian professional visual artist, best expressing through painting and drawing. I am 22 years old. I have studied Painting at The National University of Arts Bucharest. As I am an artistic person, I have always had a special connection with the fields of art, as I also studied ballet for six years, and art itself has become a part of my being since childhood. When it comes to self description, I think artists are best described by their artworks, by the topics chosen for their projects and by the emotion expressed. If you really want to know about me or any artist, try to study our art, that’s our materialization of the self.

“Conflictio”

2. Why art?
Art because that is what I feel to do, it is a way to express myself and it has become a lifestyle. Everything I see or do , I try to find a correlation with art. An artist should also be art, by the way they behave, think, talk and act. Art is like that essential spice that makes life more beautiful.

3. What is your earliest memory of wanting to be an artist?
I knew I would follow an artistic career since a very young age of childhood. First I intended to become a professional ballet dancer, but my passion for drawing and painting was stronger, because it helped me express my inner self in a different and accurate way. I have drawn since I was 5 years old and I prefered any creative activity. I always use my time to create, learn or become better in my field. I started studying drawing and painting when I was 16 and then continued at the University of Arts.

“Chorus”

4. What are your favourite subjects and medias?
My favourite subjects are the deep ones, the philosophical especially. These types of topics offer me a great opportunity to learn and also a good motivation for documentation and applying the information and the sense in a visual and material way. Some other topics that I relate to when I initiate an art project are from the fields of psychology, architecture, history, mythology and literature. The medias that best suit the materialization of my vision and ideas are acrylic, oil, charcoal, graphite and mixed medias. I like to add textures in my paintings and that “unexpected” which makes the artwork mysterious

“Dissensio”

5. How do you work and approach your subject?
I usually think the steps of my next project with some time before I start working on it. I think about how many paintings I want to paint on that topic that I choose, I think everything about the concept but only few basic ideas about the technique, because it is very important to let some aspects unknown from the start, as the technique I usually choose is mixed and it implies experimental gestures. The subjects come from fields that are related to art. I draw sketches after I do the documentation and many of them help me to elaborate the paintings.

“Licentia”

6. What are your favourite artwork(s), artist(s)?
I think an artist should not have a favourite artwork or a favourite artist to take as example. The idea is to have artistic and aesthetic principles and try to see the beauty ,the good side in many artists’ artworks. Of course, the best are the masters of the Rennaisance, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Albrecht Durer and many others, but I can also accept and appreciate the changes which occurred over time, according to the continuously changing mentality. I will say some names of contemporary artists who also represent a good model of authentic artist. I like the work of Anselm Kiefer, because of the experimental technique and interesting subjects, I also appreciate the architect Zaha Hadid, the visual artist Yves Klein as well as many others who rule the art world.

“Narcissist”

7. What are the best responses you have had to your work?
The best responses as an artist are the art exhibitions and the prizes, besides the joy I feel when people appreciate my artworks. I have a number of 23 group art exhibitions, which took place at important Romanian galleries and museums from Bucharest, Constanta, Brasov, Braila, many of them in collaboration with the Romanian Union of Artists. I won over 20 awards for my academic activity and in 2020 I won some important awards for my artistic activity, such as: the Special Award of the “Alexandru Tzipoia” Foundation – obtained for my artworks at the National Miniature Salon from the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art “Pavel Susara”, MAMCO; First Prize at the International Art Contest “Martha Bibescu” for my painting “Licentia,” First prize at the National Contest of Book illustration at Romanian National Museum of Literature.

I have many of my artworks in private collections from different corners of the world, such as USA, UK, Hong Kong, Romania, Sweden and others.

I have media appearances and publications about what I do in Romania and abroad, such as articles and catalogues, as well as in a Romanian Culture, Art and History Magazine. I was also invited to talk on the Romanian Cultural Radio, at the Cult Top talk show.

“Artem esse”

8. What do you like about your work?
I like the fact that I am able to conserve a classical aspect in most of my artworks, even if the painting has an abstract composition. I also like the complexity of the compositions and the topics. But I think that art critics and the people should say whether they like the artworks or not. I always try to improve myself and to avoid self-complacency.

9. What advice would you give to other artists?
I think the context you find yourself in is very important. In order to breathe art, you have to feel it, you have to live it deeply, so surround yourself with beautiful things, with good music ,good people, be confident no matter what and stay focused on your goals! Discipline, strictly schedule, passion, ambition and perseverance are the key to succeed in career! Just be yourself and people who really matter will learn to appreciate and value your work, the others who don’t motivate you don’t have to be important for you.

“Ruina animae”

10. Where you see yourself in 5-10 years?
I see myself doing what I like and what makes my soul grow. I see myself having things together, because nobody has everything in place in the early twenties. I will be a better artist and a better version of what I already am as a human being. I wish for a good career in art. I hope for the best.

Bianca Paraschiv

LINKS —

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