Листи /Lettres
by
Elzara Oiseau
Curator: Jorge Cañete
August 2022

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a multicultural woman with an Eastern background and a rather European mentality. Most of my life I have been lucky to live in Ukraine. However, I had to move a lot in my life and not always by my will. Each forced move has left its mark on me, which has made me extremely sensitive and emotional. From this sensitivity came the need to pass on many of my personal stories and experiences to the world.

Art is above all a dialogue for me.

This dialogue materializes in different forms. Sometimes it is a manifestation, sometimes it is a screaming voice, sometimes it is a silent conversation, a reflection, a monologue, a confession...
In this exhibition, the viewer can observe several periods in my life as an artist. The majority of the works were made in Ukraine. I brought them by myself through several countries to Switzerland, in the hope of saving them from the war.

The works presented are part of several series.

One of them is dedicated to music. Indeed, music inspires me and has a unique and special place in my life. The works in this series are often texts mixed with images and abstract forms, according to the rhythms and melodies of certain songs. Sometimes they are vibrations, reflections on instrumental music. Deep and sometimes bizarre investigations that are not understandable at first sight.

A second series is called 'Expressions', in which I had a dialogue with myself, about my emotions, my worries and fears. I used a lot more images and abstract forms, than texts. Also, there is a lot of pink colour, as a symbol of feminism, notes, made with lipstick in a hurry on a mirror. A quick but necessary message before I go...

The series of anguish, which I had already started at the end of December 2021, already anticipating the war.
In this period, every day was a tough test. One must bear in mind that war was inevitable. Therefore, every day, all my efforts and plans were gradually losing their meaning. The imminent possibility that my life could be turned upside down, overnight, made me enter a constant monotony and apathy. I had to endure this unfortunate state for months before the Russian invasion. Despite the apparent unhappiness of a war, the invasion did have its positives. It made the Ukrainian people, and myself for that matter, much stronger and more patriotic. We were forced to remember our culture and our common spirit. To talk about our art and poetry, for example.
That's how the last series of Ukrainian poems was born.

My research helped me to choose several poems by Ukrainian writers. They speak of love and loyalty to the native land, dear and unique. They also speak of human strength, which triumphs over all difficulties and obstacles, and which will never let enemies steal our freedom.

For this series, the choice of calligraphy for each work is based on the subjects and contents of the poems. This is how the communication between the viewer and the poems takes place. Sometimes I have used wavy, soft, light and spiral lines, as in the poems 'Wings' or 'Hope'. Sometimes they are dynamic, a bit harsh and more aggressive, like in Lesya Ukrainka's poem 'To the Enemies'.

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BIOGRAPHY

Elzara was born in 1989, in Caucasus region of russia. Originally crimean tatar.
In 2000 moved on with family to Crimea.
In 2011, after 5.5 years of studying,  geaduated Crimean university by specialty Monumental Art, Simferopol, Crimea.
After education, starting the carrier in jewelry.
In 2014 by political reasons (occupation of Crimea), moved on to Kyiv, after few years has founded own jewelry brand RiseJewelry with own designed  silver jewelry.
In 2019 passed the course of calligraphy in Kyiv.
In 2020 during the quarantine concentrates in the art and painting. During few months searching for her own style, making experiments with the colours, technics and shapes. After all trying to mix her academic knowledges with calligraphy and street art and here she us finding her own way to express herself - abstract calligraphy, based on the textes, sometimes her own words and thoughts, sometimes poems or lyrics of the music which inspires.
May 2021 - first personal exhibition 'Expressions' where was presented the series 'Coffee & Cigarettes' and the series 'Expressions' based on abstract calligraphy.
During 2021 won few open calls and took part at  collective online and offline  exhibitions, as Book Arsenal in Kyiv - most important  Festival of Literature in Ukraine; the exhibition at Museum of Ukrainian Contemporary  Art named Korsak, in Lutsk city.
July-September 2021  working with the project Yol Qirim(the Crimea's way) about culture and art of Crimean tatars, for the Crimean House  by the support of Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and Ukranian Institute in Kyiv. Artist was responsible for  the hall 'Religion'.
Exhibition has run from November 2021 and should has been finished in november 2022.
October 2021 was  working with the series dedicated to Tunisian Sahara.
Since January has started the series Anxiety. Waiting for the War. This series is continue.

Elzara's artworks are in collections in Australia, Italy, Portugal, USA, Brazil, Ukraine.

Since 31 march Elzara lives in Zurich, Switzerland until the war in Ukraine will end. She brought all her paintings with her through few countries, just by hands.

PAST EXHIBITIONS
2022 - collective exhibition ARTE UKRAÏNA a Vicenza, Via dei laghi 120, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy.
2022 - collective auction for UNICEF Ukraine in XRONOLAB gallery, Mühlebachstrasse, 12, Zürich.
2022 - collective virtual  exhibition "Resistance" Baroque App, Kyiv.
2022 - collective exhibition "War time. Reflections", the gallery of contemporary art  "Dzyga", Lviv.
2022 - collective exhibition Stand With Ukraine by UART + NYC Art movement group, ONE ART SPACE GALLERY, 23
Warren Street, New-York.
2022 – collective auction in Xanadu Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
2022 – collective exhibition WAR IS NOT PEACE , by KsiProstir, l’Espace 29, Bordeaux, France.
2022 – collective exhibition “MAKE ART NOT WAR”, CAM Contemporary Art Museum, Naples, Italy.
2022 – collective exhibition “Transit zone. Exit gate 2022”, organisation by art
researching platform MOKONSHU. Gallery “Митець”, Kyiv, Ukraine.
2021 – 2022 Multi-genre project The Way of the Crimea/ Yol Qirim in the
Crimean House by the support of Ukrainian Cultural Foundation Ukrainian
Institute and Crimean House, Kyiv, Ukraine.
2021 Exhibition “Your names, Ukraine”, the Museum of Ukrainian Contemporary
Art, Lutsk, Ukraine.
2021. Online exhibition Digital Week of Women in Art 2021, Georgia.
2021 International festival of literature of Ukraine Knyzhkovyj Arsenal
(Book Arsenal ) corner “Fontology”, exhibition “Geography of Ukrainian manuscript”
2021 International tattoo-festival in Ukraine ‘Tattoo Collection Kyiv’, Art Space
Platforma, Kyiv, Ukraine.
2021 First personal exhibition “Expressions”, Angar , Kyiv, Ukraine.
2019 International festival of literature of Ukraine Knyzhkovyj Arsenal
(Book Arsenal), the corner ‘Letter’, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Publications:
2021 – Book “How to became the Name”by Victor Korsak, founder of the
Museum of Ukrainian Contemporary Art named Korsakiv , Lutsk, Ukraine
publishing house “Kolo”.
2021 - Catalogue of Ukrainian modern calligraphy “From the studying to
experiments”, publishing house ‘Artiya’,
2021 – Professional Women Artists Catalogue, Georgia.
2021 – Boomer Magazine, The New Artist, by Boomer Gallery, London.