Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1156727
THIS WEEK ART maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 AUGUST 2019 6 Who are you? "I am a 26 year-old, Latvian born and raised, adventurous girl, artist and art restorer who loves music and beauti- ful things in life. I like to cre- ate. I'm a creative person." What brought you to Malta? How long have you been here? "It's been only a year. I wanted to go on an Erasmus internship after I graduated and I came to work with local conservation company Atel- ier del Restauro. I came here for five months and had a job offer. I remember coming to Malta in December and thinking, 'It's nice here, the beach, the sun the people. It would be nice to stay here.' Quite accidentally I found a job with Recoop, another art restoration company. I re- ally liked the colleagues and atmosphere in my workplace and so I decided to stay." Tell me about your background in art. "I've been formally learning how to draw for more than 10 years but it all began when I was a child - I really en- joyed drawing princesses and horses. I started to go to an academic drawing studio in my hometown Jelgava when I was still in primary school. In high school I made a choice between architecture or art and design school. "So I was studying wooden product design in this amaz- ing school where we were always learning to draw and paint. Besides the drawing and painting I really formed my tastes and vision in art and really learned how to be creative. "The logical path would have been to become a de- signer but I didn't like that idea, especially the whole de- sign process and deadlines, there were many days when we didn't sleep at all because of our school projects." She then went to the Art Academy of Latvia where she chose to study paint- ing restoration. "Somehow, I thought that would be a good profession," she laughs, before turning serious again. "I really enjoyed copying art- works by the old masters. We had to make very precise copies of artworks and paint- ings in museums and graphic arts. That's where you really learn patience." What was the high point of your career so far? "My first solo exhibition was in Cafe Society, a bar in Valletta that hold exhibi- tions, in May. They are very open for artists who want to display their works. I just randomly ended up there one day and they said 'yes' and I had a reason to make my art- works happen." Who's your favourite artist? "Albrecht Durer. Since I was very small, his work kind of mesmerised me. Melenco- lia I, the angel sitting with the greyhound surrounded with objects. There are plenty of meanings and symbolism in the artwork, but really, I just like the vibe, you know?" she smiles. Favourite medium? "Charcoal on canvas," she says with little hesitation. "You can make many sensi- tive drawings with it." You recently had an exhibition in Cafe Society. Tell me more about it and what kind of reception did it get? Vītola is self-deprecating. "There are no reviews or any- thing official, just people who went and enjoyed my art. It was an important step for me to prove to myself that I can be an artist," she says. "I had this opportunity to make an exhibition and I just let my thoughts fly and do what I love doing best. Of course I'd also like to sell some of my works at some point!" Explain your creative process "In the beginning it's a feel- ing of something that I want to do, some kind of a shape or form or sometimes I just want to enjoy the material. I have some vision of what I want to do, then there are phases: "The little idea, the devasta- tion of starting to do it, the empty canvas. You put on the first layers and then think 'Oh my God what is this?' The end result is often com- pletely different from what I had planned. I find this flow very exciting. I put on my fa- vourite music and work all night long, trying to create perfect new things. "Some paintings I make in Trance, horses and art - fascinating world of Laima Blessed are those who do what they love for a living and even luckier are those who are astoundingly good at it. One such fortunate soul is 26 year-old Laima Vitola: visual artist and expert art restorer, who spoke to MATTHEW AGIUS at her home studio.