Interview with the 2019 Guest of Honor, Valentin Chibrit
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| Author | Debbie "Debbo" Burmeister |
|---|---|
| Subject | Valentin Chibrit |
Publication date | Fall 2019 |
| Media type | Print, Digital |
| Pages | 16-20 |
| Website | caricature |
Article Description. Should include author, brief description, issue number and page number(s).
Article Transcript
Debbo: Hi, Valentin! We look forward to having you as our guest of honor in Memphis at the annual ISCA caricature convention.
Valentin: The honor and the surprise to be invited is all mine. Looking forward to meeting the artists whose works I’ve been admiring for years. A few years ago it was hard to imagine this as a possibility. Thank you for the invitation!
Debbo: Now let’s get down to the questions:
Q: Have you ever been to Memphis before? If not, I hope you are a fan of Elvis. Or barbecue.
A: I had a chance to visit the States while working as a caricature artist on cruise ships, but I never visited more of the mainland, only Florida. I had a restrictive kind of visa that allowed only transit. I am a huge fan of barbecue, and regarding Elvis, I have yet to find a person who is not a fan of Elvis. So, eating barbecue probably rocks while listening to Elvis, right?
Q: That sounds about right! Let’s start with introducing you to those members who may not be familiar with you. Where were you born and raised, and where do you live now?
A: I was born in Galati, a small city in Romania, and now I live in Bucharest (the capital).
Q: What was your childhood like? Did you have a favorite pastime or toy?
A: The word that comes into my mind when thinking of my childhood is modest...I was more in charge of looking after my restless brother, and it suited me as I was more of an introvert and it was difficult for me to grow a social circle. Back in the communist regime, the access to toys was limited, so we had to develop creativity to entertain ourselves.
Q: Were your parents artists as well (I think your website mentions that, but my Romanian is not so good)? What were their occupations? Did you like to draw them?
A: Yes, I inherited an artistic gene from both of my parents. She is an art teacher who specialized in landscapes as opposed to me, being more into understanding human nature through portraits. My biological father is a self-taught artist attracted to sculptures. You see, my relationship with art is not a conventional one. I didn’t feel like drawing my parents, or other members of the family. At the beginning, art was never about drawing the things I’ve observed, but instead art was a means to “draw” attention. The only works that my mother saved are from my college years.
Q: What occupation did you think you would have when you grew up and why?
A: Luckily, that choice was already made for me, as my mother noticed a potential in me that I wasn’t even aware of. Seeing her paintings, I developed high expectations of myself, wanting to draw from the beginning like her, so lack of confidence was a big issue. Nonetheless, she had the proper parenting tools to encourage me to draw and overcome my inner tendency to be the best from the start. So, I can’t imagine another occupation that could suit my personality better.
Q: Is there anything else you feel helped shape your art early on?
A: Honestly, in the beginning I was afraid of interpreting shapes and using colors, but becoming fascinated by the art of Klimt, Picasso and Krüger, triggered the courage to create esthetic/graceful elements that weren’t there to begin with, the freedom to break apart the basic shapes of a figurative situation and then rearrange them into something else while keeping the essence, and last but not least, the union between words like “talent” and “seriousness.”
Q: When, why and how did you start drawing caricatures, and what got you into the art form?
A: Year of ’97 I got my caricatures published in the high school newspaper. They were doodles of our teachers; my colleagues’ reaction felt good, so I kept caricaturizing people around me. The success of winning my first award the following year crystalized the relationship. I have to include my mom here. She got the courage to introduce me to Stefan Popa Popa’s. He was a very popular name in our country at the time. He had the means to support the need for art supplies. He also introduced me to public and private live gigs, which helped massively during art-college years. Seeing that I could support myself doing this was the ticket in. Seeing that I could travel, meeting new people, understanding human nature and psyche became my side-study.
Q: Where did you receive your training? What did you study?
A: As mentioned before, my mom was first to introduce me to art. I then continued with Monumental Art (church restorations) in high school, easel graphics in college followed with the ten-year collaboration with S. P. Popa’s (also mentioned above).
Q: When did you first discover that your art could make money?
A: I sold my first two oils when I was 17. I won some awards that brought me money starting at 18, but the more serious/constant earnings were coming my way while doing cartoons/caricatures for a few newspapers during college, while at the same time selling paintings through an agent on eBay.
Q: Who are some of your major caricature influences?
A: Of course, the list is massive, and there is a chance that every day you can encounter an artist who could become a major influence, but these names keep popping up with amazing posts: Sebastian Kruger, Jota Leal, Dominic Philibert, Jeff Stahl, Jean Mulatier, Olle Magnusson, Thierry Coquelet., Xi Ding, Philip Burke, David Duque.
Q: Can you explain your thought process/procedure that goes into creating a caricature?
A: My way of doing caricature is mostly intuitive. During my study years, I paid attention to anatomy Not really. I have to honestly admit that I am one for the comfort zone. But I love when life situations push me to explore new territory.
Q: Are there any art techniques that you want to try but haven’t yet?
A: Sculpture has always been a passion (probably I got it from my father) of mine. I would try going back to it in the digital medium, as soon as it becomes more user-friendly.
Q: Most caricature artists draw celebrities at one time or another. Have you ever had a chance to meet any of your celebrity subjects?
A: As I mentioned earlier, ‘98 was the year I met this guy — Stefan Popa Popa’s— who was invited to private events, where Romanian celebrities were present and I had to draw them live.
Q: How long do you spend on studio pieces?
A: I am known for spontaneity, and I remember my dorm colleagues saying that they were motivated when they saw me draw so fast. It depends, but usually I spend like 3 to 4 hours for a studio piece. I notice that if I have to come back to a painting the next day, I feel like giving it another 2 hours. I can only hope that in time I’ll become more patient and 7 hours will be the norm.
Q: Are your color pieces all done on your Wacom, or do you ever use traditional media (canvas, paint, etc.)?
A: I avoid traditional for commissions and studio pieces. Only at live gigs I use black markers.
Q: Is art a love and passion or just work for you?
A: Ouch! I noticed art gave me the opportunity to grow as an observer, as a person, so my hope is that I’ll eliminate all my fears that keep me from the realization that art is really my thing. As I stand right now, the financial obligations created a fear that made me subconsciously associate art with work—and I don’t like working.
Q: If you had to choose a non-art related profession, what would it be and why?
A: When thinking of an alternative career path for me, I thought of a few that were art related and some completely separated. I imagined myself becoming a racing driver, a cook, a masseur, and also creating aquariums, painting cars, and also restoring furniture.
Q: Next are a couple of questions from our members. How are you so proficient in English, since you live in Romania?
A: I really love watching movies and I noticed that English is more expressive. Romanians are also known for catching new languages fast. I am sure those 2 years spent on cruise ships helped a lot.
Q: How did you meet your better, smarter half?
A: Who said that???? It’s a cool story, for us at least. I was drawing at a wedding where I drew the members of the band and the drummer took the drawing to his wife, who happened to fall in love with the style and idea. She contacted me on Facebook, and the rest is history.
Q: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s convention?
A: By watching previous years’ conventions, I have great expectations about meeting amazing artists, feeling energized, growing fast and being surprised. I am also curious about seeing how I feel in this new position, totally different than the first time I arrived in the US. Another objective is catching the vibe of the city and enjoying an authentic cultural environment. I must admit, I’m very excited about the experience, and I hope I bring something new and refreshing to the convention.
Q: What can we expect from your presentation at the convention?
A: First of all, honesty. After receiving the invitation, I realized that I was somehow stagnant, caught in the commercial space, doing for the arts what was asked of me and nothing more. Sometimes inspiration doesn’t come easily, so after the phone call I felt responsible and motivated to cross that “ceiling” I was talking about earlier, by creating some good works in preparation for the convention. You see, we are all influenced by the environment in which we grow up, so I figure it would be an opportunity to present also the context in which I was formed as an artist and share my story of pursuing freedom through different approaches (bursting colors, intuitive acts, “happy accidents” as I call them).
Q: Do you have any things you hope to achieve at the con?
A: I want to find a sense of perspective. The ISCA environment is without question a very rich one, adding to that the international guests expected to attend, I’m convinced I’ll have a better understanding of the importance caricature has in the world. I always hoped that I’ll reach a point where I’ll create only artistic pieces, and I’m more than certain that I’ll dig deep during those days and produce some of my best pieces. Another thing, if possible, would be to connect and grow a feeling of community that is very rare in Romania.
Q: Any places you would like to visit while you are in Memphis?
A: Oh yeah, the words defining the visit are: poorly lighted, smoking, soul music, underground, bar?
Q: Any future projects in the works that you can share?
A: My hope is that one day I’ll be able to provide a good start in the career of some talented artists that lacked the opportunity. For now, I’m more concentrated about me growing and finding the inner resources to do that, starting with motivation. I don’t consider myself a role model, but rather an honest observer of this reality, having art as an instrument.
Q: Where can people find more of your work?
A: I uploaded works on my personal website, on Facebook, and hopefully I can finalize the Instagram account.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: Can’t wait to see you all there! Much love from Romania!
See Also
External Links
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