Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1204548
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JANUARY 2020 4 THIS WEEK ART Artist Emma Fsadni speaks to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of her participation in Art+Feminism at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta – the Maltese offshoot of an international string of art activities related to a global Wikipedia edit-a-thon that seeks to bolster the representation of female artists on the globally recognised online encyclopaedia Rinsing the psyche clean Teodor Reljic Could you tell us a little bit about your personal trajecto- ry as an artist, what spurs you on to create and what some of your ongoing thematic and stylistic obsessions are? I have always been intrigued by art's boundless conceptual, aesthetic, and experiential po- tentiality. I take to art almost like a form of constructive un- certainty, which, in process, results in a greater sense of personal clarity. I find myself viewing daily happenings be- yond that presented at surface level. When immersed in the creative process, my concept of time is lost, a flow of ener- gy and simultaneous stillness comes over me, it's a ground- ing sensation which I willingly revisit whenever I can. Most of my work tends to stem from a certain emotion or thought that would be sur- facing during that particular period of time. Currently, I find myself gravitating towards observations and conflicts sur- rounding themes such as hab- its, perception, conditioning, and social conformity. In terms of style, it partially depends on the intent I would have for the work itself. That being said, a constant component is my minimalistic approach, both in materiality and aesthetic. I lean towards this simplifica- tion as a means to counterbal- ance external and conceptual complexities, both for myself and the viewer. My work typi- cally takes form through series; I would say this is very much tied to the comfort I find in se- quence, routine and repetition. What are some of the most important lessons you've learned throughout your ar- tistic training, and how do you continue to apply them to this day? The most impactful lessons learnt were those that focused on exploration rather than spe- cific techniques and rules. A fundamental practice that I ac- quired during my Fine Art de- gree, is giving attention to the preliminary acts for which a project may later develop from – that is, taking time to criti- cally reflect, write and explore certain concepts, aesthetics or waves of intuition. Such con- sideration is the foundation of what most of my work builds upon, those moments of 'still- ness' in a day are great for this. Then I would say establishing and maintaining a sense of connection towards one's ar- tistic practice, to ensure it is never left feeling foreign. What can you tell us about your contribution to the up- coming Art + Feminism exhibit at Spazju Kreattiv? How does it feel to form part of such an initiative, and what do you think it contributes to the cur- rent cultural climate in Malta? "When immersed in the creative process, my concept of time is lost, a flow of energ y and simultaneous stillness comes over me" Rinse by Emma Fsadni (ink on paper, 2019-2020)