Interview: Valentina Brostean Varga
Luca Curci talks with Valentina Brostean Varga during BARCELONA CONTEMPORARY 2021, 3rd Edition, at Valid World Hall Gallery.

Valentina Brostean was born in 1983 in Novi Sad, Serbia. Currently based between Barcelona, Esp and Turin. Brostean holds a BFA in Graphic Design and an MFA in Illustration from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Novi Sad. Brostean is an interdisciplinary visual artist with over 15 years of experience in the creative world, working both with traditional and digital mediums. Her bold, colorful style, often described as “new contemporary figuration” is striking for its use of courageous, unexpected compositions, a bold color palette and unique, striking imagery! In her personal work, she has been strongly inspired by all the aspects of human nature, exploring subconscious, emotional states, dreams, real and the surreal. Brostean is a master in deconstructing the obvious reality in order to reconstruct it again. She has developed her own, as a result of a perpetual journey, a constant search for identity and complexity of meanings. When it comes to the field of applied art, Brostean has specialized in editorial and fashion illustration, applying her well-known playful mixed media technique mostly in magazine and book illustrations, experimenting often with collage, using both traditional and digital media. Brostean has always aimed towards powerful and original solutions for creative clients who don’t shy away from pushing boundaries, by exploring bold aesthetics and surprising outputs across all platforms. Her widely recognizable style has established her as one of the emerging contemporary artists appreciated by selected international clients such as Armani Exchange, The Washington Post, Il Corriere Della Sera, Bicycle USA and Kabinet Brewery, amongst many others. Her work has been published in numerous books, magazines and publications from around the world such as Juxtapose, Nakid, Depthcore, New Web Pick, Nurant etc. Since 2006 she has exhibited her work in a variety of exhibitions, ranging from personal to group exhibitions throughout Europe (Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the UK) as well as in the Middle East and the United States.

LUCA CURCI – What is art for you?
VALENTINA BROSTEAN VARGA – For me, art represents life itself. It is a complex process of birth from the depths of the unknown. It is an extension of who I am and the best tool to explain myself and my vision to the world. Art is a mystical process telling the story of humanity. A cure for the mind and soul.

LC – What are you currently working on?
VBV – I am working on a series of original drawings and paintings titled Homecoming coming to self. This project explores the question of self-identity through a form of raw and striking expressive figuration combined with very intimate imagery. Strongly inspired by the personal ghosts emerging from the subconscious, emotional states, dreams, and the unexplainable metaphysics of life… How the face of a lost and found identity looks like nowadays, in this world that makes us migrate, change, adapt, suffer and utterly survive it all. We fall and rise in order to do it all over again! This project looks to evoke transitional moments, like dawn and dusk, containing illuminating and eternal qualities. This timelessness is tracing journeys and rituals, histories and secrets. Nostalgic and empathetic, this project ultimately speaks of human experience.

LC – What is your creative process like?
VBV – I am a collector of sensations, emotions and various information in my conscious, waking life. Then in a creative process, my subconscious does a big part of the work letting me approach the canvas in a very organic and eclectic way. I start with certain concepts and ideas that are spontaneously changing in the process of work and the final result is sometimes surprising. I believe in the approach of combining two opposites, a subconscious wild imagination guided by the rational mind that tries to shape and explain it.

LC – Are your artworks focused on a specific theme?
VBV – In my personal work I have been strongly inspired by all the aspects of human nature- exploring subconscious, emotional states, dreams, real and the surreal. I consider myself a master in deconstructing the obvious reality in order to reconstruct it again on the canvas. I have developed my own, very personal technique and style – the result of a perpetual journey, a constant search for identity and complexity of meanings.

LC – How is being an artist nowadays?
VBV – It is a very organic, eclectic process asking a fully dedicated persona in order to be done well. It is obviously very uncertain, with many ups and downs, especially living in a world that is contaminated with too many information and visual sensations, digital trash so to say, which are distracting the mind and the soul. It is a serious and demanding role to be an artist nowadays, but most certainly it is our noble duty to endure and continue doing the good fight. I was born and raised in Serbia, I have lived for over ten years in Italy and now a month ago I have moved to Barcelona. Art is different in all these places and it is very interesting having a possibility to witness those differences.

LC – In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the festival’s theme?
VBV – Question of Identity, what it means and how it can be visually represented was one of the main subjects in my work for many years, therefore very aligned with the subject of the festival theme.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
VBV – I had one big-scale traditional painting exhibited in this show. It is a very personal work titled Relation between Art and the Artist. This is a Self – Reflecting work, evaluating the creative process and the personal relationship created between the Artist with his own Creation. A mix of deepest dedication and enlightenment with the dose of struggle, vanity, ego and desperation in between. Fight against self for a higher cause! Palette of very strong bold colors, reflection opposing emotions, defragmented composition with many details, trying to connect and unify many pieces of the puzzle in one whole. Painting about the mystery of creation.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us? VBV – It was a pleasure.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
VBV – I suppose there is always a space for small improvements but I must say your service was professional and according to my expectations. Maybe some tailor-made personal advice to the specific artists might be helpful, as well as more connections with clients and collectors provided through the ITSLIQUID GROUP.

LC – What is your idea about ITSLIQUID GROUP?
VBV – Professional creative service with high standards. Good art source for artists around the globe.