{"id":44531,"date":"2020-01-17T20:06:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T01:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artoronto.ca\/?p=44531"},"modified":"2020-01-20T17:33:54","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T22:33:54","slug":"interview-with-vikka-at-urban-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v2.artoronto.ca\/?p=44531","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Vikka at Urban Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interview with Vikka (V) by Victoria Rainoff (VR)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vikka. Photo: B\u00e9n\u00e9dicte Dolny<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interview took place at Urban Gallery at Vikka\u2019s first Canadian exhibition in December, 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Installation view. Photo: Victoria Rainoff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: You are a French born artist living in the Basque Country in Anglet, France. How did you get the idea to exhibit in Toronto?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: I wanted to see Street Art internationally. Toronto is a\nperfect city for that, renowned for its Street Art. I discovered fantastic walls\nwith street art, beyond my imagination, it was a great surprise. I think my artworks\nwere well placed in a city like Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Street Scene No 1, print, pastel, acrylic, resin, aerosol, 35 x 57 in. Courtesy of Urban Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: The title of the exhibition In Memory of Witold and Max <\/em>is a tribute to your grandfathers. Why did you dedicate this show to their memory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: My first exhibition was a tribute to my grandfathers, who\nthemselves have an undeniable talent in the field of painting. They were also\nthe first fans of my creations: the first to recognize my talent. Grandfather\nMax also claims that I inherited my artistic ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Installation view with smaller artworks. Photo: Victoria Rainoff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: Your artist name Vikka comes from your sons\u2019 first names; a lovely idea. Did they influence your art in any ways, like the themes and style of it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: The birth of my first son brought me back to my childhood.\nThe cartoons he watches stimulate my imagination. My sons are a fundamental influence\nin the development of my art. They represent a part of childhood that I wish to\ntransmit to a wide audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Best Friend, print, pastel, acrylic, resin, aerosol on canvas, 51 x 35 in. Courtesy of Urban Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: It seems that Street Art, Pop Art and especially cartoons have a great impact on your art. How did that happen and how do you apply their elements in your work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: I have always been fond of art and especially of all the movements\nof the Street Art scene and Pop Art. I consider artists like Ron English or\nBuff Monster masters in the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My works are inspired by the new ideas of our time, products\nof my imagination, and tributes to the great artists who have had an impact on\nmy art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Selfie No 1, print, pastel, acrylic, resin, 43 x 4 in. Courtesy of Urban Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I use various materials, such as aerosol bomb, acrylic, resin, collage, print and pastel in order to create harmony in my work. The colors and the surreal elements are the most important factors in my compositions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoy versatility in my work and that\u2019s why my characters\nmove freely between paintings, sculptures and photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sculpture (pink), resin, acrylic, aerosol, print, 11 x 19 x 7 in. Photo: Victoria Rainoff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: American artists, like Warhol, Basquiat and Keith Haring greatly inspired you. You even dedicated paintings to them. Can you tell us more about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: They are the greatest masters of Pop Art and Street Art.\nIt is a tribute to them to commemorate their work in my paintings. A real\npleasure to bring my characters to life through their motifs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tribute to Keith Haring, pastel, acrylic, resin, stencil on canvas, 39 x 39 in. Courtesy of Urban Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: There are returning elements and characters in your paintings, sculptures and photographs like bubbles, rainbows, bombs and characters appearing in bubbles. What do these symbols represent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: The bubbles represent round shapes, soothing and\nliberating, reminders of the peculiar lightness of childhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The colors are the colors of the rainbow, with an additional\none, the rose. Colors have always been essential in my work; they bring my\ncharacters to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My characters, the bomb and the slug, came out of my\nimagination! Both appeared in a boom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rainbow Bubbles, pastel, acrylic, aerosol, 35 x 57 in. Courtesy of Urban Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: What do you wish to express though your art?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: I wish to arouse interest and raise awareness among\nothers. Art has no limit. It is synonymous with freedom\u2014a way of\nexpressing oneself and revealing the child who is in us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR: What are your future plans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V: New exhibitions in France, in Lyon or even Biarritz. And\nexhibitions abroad, in Belgium and in Italy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am working on a new series of paintings in tribute to the\nForever 27 Club\u2014talents who disappeared too soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Victoria Rainoff<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wanted to see Street Art internationally. Toronto is a perfect city for that, renowned for its Street Art. I think my artworks were well placed here.<\/p>\n

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