Public Republic

Interview with Leila Ataya by Galya Mladenova

Leila Ataya was born in Russia, Moscow in 1979. From a very young age her life was strongly influenced by art. In 1995 she was accepted into Arts College in Russia, Moscow and continued her studies in watercolour and drawing.

In 1996 she moved with her family to New Zealand and entered the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland and in 2001 graduated with a BFA in the discipline of Painting. The same year she won the “Telecom Art Awards” with the work “The Keys to New Zealand,” featured on the cover of the 2001 Auckland phone book. In 2002 she visited and exhibited in Thailand as a result of winning “The Nokia Art Awards – Asia Pacific 2001.”

Since then Leila has participated in a number of group shows and personal exhibitions. Her works feature in many private collections in New Zealand and other countries of the world including Australia, England, South Korea, Russia etc.

A profile and a selection of her works were featured in New Zealand’s Favourite Artists Book by Denis Robinson, published by Saint Publishing in 2006. In 2007 she won the Popular Choice Award at the Waitakere Trust Art Awards, the People’s Choice award at The Morpeth Canada 2008 Art Award and came third at The Mazda Awards 2008. The same year she returned to the University of Auckland and gained a PGDip in Fine Arts.

Leila’s works are featured in “Pop Surrealism What a Wonderfool World,” a book dedicated to the first major Pop Surrealism show in Italy, which was published by Drago in 2010. At present, she is a director and tutor at LA Art School.

Her Highness

We see many cats in your paintings. Is that your favorite animal? Are you a cat owner?

Yes I love animals and especially cats. They inspire me with their character and different personalities: sometimes they are mysterious, sometimes cute or at times, even evil. We do have a cat and his name is Mizzy.

Butter-Cat

In your works we can see a beautiful fantasy world. What inspires you to create these paintings?

It’s hard to pinpoint my inspiration to one particular aspect; I get inspired by everything around me: movies I watch, magazines, books, animals, objects, people or sometimes it can be small things like reflections or colours that catch my eye or even music and sounds. Sometimes I know what the work will look like before I start painting it, other times the painting takes charge and dictates its own composition and the story behind it evolves into something I could not predict.

Feathers and Pins

Do you have a favorite among your works?

I can’t say because it always changes: I may like a painting and then change my mind or not like it at first and then look at a photo of it years later and really like it.
The one that stands out to me is ‘The Tree.’ It’s the largest work I have done to date. It consists of 8 panels and is approximately 3x3m in size.

The Tree

You focus on every detail in a painting. Does that take a lot of time? How long does it take to accomplish a painting?

Details do take a long time but I also work with layers, which is time consuming in its self. I enjoy every moment of it and especially look forward to the finishing touches – that’s my favourite part.

Dangers of the forest

You’ve studied ceramics, and lacquer miniature “Palekh”, Russian Iconography. How did that affect your art style?

I studied all these art techniques when I was still forming as an artist and they definitely influence my painting decisions every day. The attention to detail and colour choices come from miniature painting and many paint application techniques are influenced by Iconography and other styles I learned when I was younger.

Purrple

You moved from Russia to New Zeland in 1996. Did that big change affect your art?

I guess it changed (or should I say influenced) me gradually. I did my Bachelor of Fine Arts and Post Graduate Diploma at Elam, School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland so teachers, lecturers and a different perspective on art altered my point of view in some way but some encounters made me stand my ground instead and not change, so I guess it’s a combination.

On

Who’s the painter that you admire most and had the greatest influence on you?

It’s always a new artist or an art work that I would find captivating until I see something else that grabs my imagination but predominantly masters of Surrealism and contemporary Pop Surrealists that get my attention the most.

Whiskers

Tell us more about “Pop Surrealism What a Wonderfool World” and your part in it?

That is the first major Italian show completely dedicated to Pop Surrealism and was a collaboration between Dorothy Circus Gallery (Rome, Italy) that represents me, and Jonathan Levine Gallery (New York, US). The show is on at Museo Carandente, Spoleto, Italy and runs until mid October 2010. I am very excited to exhibit there alongside great artists and painters like Mark Ryden, Ron English and others. There is also a book “Pop Surrealism What a Wonderfool World” that was published by Drago for the show and it features the exhibited works.

The Sporeling

You’re also a tutor. How did you start teaching? What’s the most important lesson you want your students to learn? Where do you find the joy of teaching?

I was asked to run some after school classes when I graduated from University and it just grew from there. I love teaching and passing on my knowledge while recognizing individual talent and seeing it develop. Teaching also gives me a chance to network with other people and it’s a very good change from painting, which is much more individual.

Delicious

You’re also a director at LA Art School. How did you achieve that at your age? Does it consume a lot of your time?

I have been teaching at Art Schools and art Centers and later decided to create my own Leila Ataya Art School where children and adults can come and participate in different programmes, learn new techniques and practice art. It does take some of my time but I really enjoy it and find it really rewarding.

Beef Curtains

What do you consider your greatest professional success so far?

It’s impossible to isolate any one particular event or time, I feel that success comes with every show, every award and new technique that I’ve learned.
At the moment I feel most excited about expanding into the international market.

Reclining Nude

Have you done/ would you like to do book illustrations?

Book illustration is one of the things that has been on my mind but I have not acted on it so far, maybe someday in the future.

The dance

What are you planning for the future? Maybe another solo exhibition?

Yes I do have some exciting shows coming up: I will be exhibiting with Kukula at Copro Gallery (LA, US) later this year as well as in The Artist’s Room (Dunedin, New Zealand) and as for a solo show I will have one at Dorothy Circus Gallery (Rome, Italy) in early 2012.

You can see more of Leila Ataya’s works here.