Interview with Maja Pavlovska - Maja Angel — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

How has your journey from Macedonia to the Netherlands influenced your artistic style and themes in your paintings?

First of all I would like to express the honor, happiness and thankfulness to you and the whole team of Contemporary Art Curator, for giving me this great opportunity to present my art journey to your visitors and audience world wide, who are interested in art. I hope that my art journey will be interesting for them, as well.

I would begin this interview with introduction of myself and my origins, so to be clearer to the readers. I'm born in 1968 in Skopje, Macedonia, one of the Republics of ex Yugoslavia. I was working and living in the capital of Macedonia, Skopje until 2008, together with my son, my parents, my mother who was an architect and my father, a manager and lyrics writer, as well as my brother, a guitar player and his family. At the same time when we were moving to the Netherlands with my son, I lost my mother and shortly after that I lost my father, too. We continued living here, in the region of Utrecht, together with my son, Boban (IT engineer), for more than 15 years.

Certainly my journey from Macedonia to the Netherlands influenced my artistic style and themes, because of all the events which we've passed through and also the specifics of both countries, different culture, history and energy, which gives you a certain inspiration.

My birth country of Macedonia, with its extraordinary nature, sunshine which appears more than 240 days in the year, beautiful lakes and mountains, with its ancient history, older than 2000 of years, country that experienced a lot of good and bad moments in its existence until now and for anybody who was searching about the true facts, it is really a huge inspirational resource.

When i moved to my present living country, the Netherlands, I fell in love from first sight. I've got a feeling like i had already lived here in my "previous life". Much different in its nature, but again beautiful in its own unique way. Flat and very green. You see everywhere the symbiosis between the nature and the modern life style. I have never seen so specific green colour of the nature in any other country. Simply, each corner of the Netherlands and the specific colors of the sky, express pure art and gives you an inspiration for each next artistic project. I think, it is not a coincidence that there are a lot of masters of art who are coming exactly from here.

However, as an artist and song writer, it doesn't matter which of both was my country of living, I was always curious about finding new ways of art expression. I was drawing, painting, writing songs, singing since very young age and I was always part of various contests and exhibitions or song festivals. Even if the art is my love and life and whatever I do, I am creating almost every day, with long conversations and convictions by my parents I decided to continue and finished successfully my profession as a Manager of tourism on the University of tourism in Ohrid, Macedonia. But I have never stopped creating. So, about 1998 with help of my young son that time and expert in computers since very young age, I started educating myself in creating graphic designs in Corel Draw and I finished the requested exams, so i was working as a graphic designer while living in Skopje, for more than 15 years. Recently, about 2019, searching for new digital tools I decided to bind my two skills, organic painting (acrylic, dry pastel, pencil, aquarelle etc) and the graphic design (always using my own hand's movements from scratch to the end result), step by step, my artistic style has evolved. About themes, doesn't matter of artistic materials and tools, or where I am living, I am always influenced by everyday life, trying to answer some global, not answered questions, visualizing events which I've been recently faced with, or heard them and I thought that they deserve to be narrated through art or music.

Can you describe a moment or experience that significantly deepened your passion for painting?

As I mentioned above, I am in art and the music since very young age, always self educated. In high school and after that, I was under the mentorship of my art professor Ratka Ilieva - Lale (who died in 2008). She was one of the biggest supporters of my art, keeping me always busy, with new projects, exhibitions, contests and i continued with that tempo until today.

About the moment that significantly deepened my passion for painting, I would pinpoint the period of my life, back in 1991, when i was 23, my son was 1 and a half, I've got total paralyze, nobody knew how I 've got it and in just few minutes, my life has totally changed. The weekend before i had shooting of a new TV advertisement on the mountain of Galicica, because i had arrangements as a model that time. It was really extremely cold. Minus 27. After I came back, from very dynamic person, the very rare autoimmune disease on a global scale, known as Myelopoliradiculoneurits, stuck me in bed, totally paralyzed, without possibility to move any part of my body, for few years. The doctors explanation was that it is a very rare illness and only one in 250000 people can get it. The damage of the Myelin is very high up the spinal cord, so the consequences of the illness are still present. At the beginning, It was very hard to accept that i'll never walk again by myself. In that period of my life I had plenty of time to be with myself and my own thoughts... I was "painting", "writing songs" and "moving" in my mind, since i couldn't use any part of my body. The only light I was seeing at that moment, were my son, my parents and my brother. One day I've caught myself that i am loosing my emotions by all those heavy medicines and i am not able to give back my love to my little son that time.. I decided to stop with everything that i was taking and i started to feel my body, but also I began to think different, to go back to the "old me". Even if the pain became unbearable, with a lot of spasms and trembling of my body, I decided to stop living like plant but to try to get any movement on a natural way. After few months, fingers of my left hand started to move... Since i was using the left and right hand at the same time before the illness, i had experience to write with left hand like in a mirror. In opposite direction . First I wrote a song. I told to my parents to put the paper on the opposite side on the window, so they can read the text in right direction. This is how i wrote my first lyrics for the song, "Painful truth", for which in 1993 on 'Interfest', the song festival, I've achieved first prize for the lyrics. Then, with help of my parents, setting everything for me, so I can draw again, i began first with pencil and then step by step with all other mediums. The curator, Zarko Tozi, from Museum of contemporary art in Skopje, and director of Cultural informative center, Ljupcho Malenko were interested in my art and they organized my first three independent exhibitions in three different cities in Macedonia. They made very nice compilation of about 60 artworks painted before (with my right hand) and after I've got the paralyze (with my left hand). Thanks to all the team who was working on that project, that was my rebirth, knowing that I still can do something... I believe that all those events that were following, made me even more mature and have deepened my passion for art.

As an artist, you constantly evolve and explore new realms in your work. I'm curious about the most unexpected source of inspiration you've encountered in your career. Could you share a story about a time when inspiration came from a surprising place or experience, and how it significantly influenced one of your artworks or your artistic approach in general?

The inspiration is coming to me mostly from everyday life, from very simple things i face during the day, heard words or stories, heard sounds of some piece of music, seen mixed colors of the sky, Sun and the nature, events, my dreams and etc. But also i am very often inspired from the thoughts or conversations with my son or some friends of mine about the functioning of the Universe. That's my eternal inspirational theme, since I think that it's very tight connected with our existence as a human race and function of our brains and souls. We still have to search for answers and facts about that, but fortunately the visualizers have that privilege to put all those thoughts and visualizations on paper, like lyrics, or art and on that way to make it closer to all the people.

I am amazed by the scientist and genius Nikola Tesla, his thoughts and everything he has done for this humanity. He is also my inspiration. I dedicated some paintings to him, like "Energy, frequency and vibration", "Eternal free energy", ”Free energy alignment”, "3,6,9", etc.

For one of my songs that I wrote, completed with music and lyrics, I've got a second prize on a music festival in year of 2000 and the song came to me in my dream. One day, I simply woke up and I immediately started to sing it on my dictaphone, that time, that was working on old kind of tapes, like tdk etc... I was asking my family and friends if they heard it anywhere, so to be sure that it is not something that i heard before, but it's my own creation.

This is happening also with my paintings. Some of them are based on some of my symbolic dreams, or my friend's dreams where I appeared somehow...

Similar to this, it was a long time ago, I was still in a high school.. It was very windy that day and there were some light things freely flying and rolling in front of me, pushed by the strong wind. I noticed a bigger piece of paper in roll, and after trying few times, I finally caught it. When i opened, it was a piece of wall paper with very gentle lines. I knew immediately what I 'll do with it. I brought it home, and until late that night I made painting of a girl with braids with tempera paint, since I've got this inspiration from the lines i saw on the wall paper. The title is “Bantu”.

Also, an interesting moment happened to me recently. Every year, every spring are coming the same type of butterflies in my garden. I always connect them with my dead parents or friends, who were essential part of my life, like they are coming every day, the same time, to visit me. The butterflies are whole day playing with me, during I'm enjoying the sunshine. Some of them even spread their wings, when they see that I spread my arms. Sometimes they repeat the movements, like they feel the same I feel when I do that, "Freedom"... This is the title of the digital painting I made that spring of 2020. The butterflies are still coming in my garden, every day in springs and summers and I am always saluting them, like they are part of my family, always thankful to them for visiting me and all the inspirations they give me. For this painting I've got two awards, the first is at Luxembourg Art prize in 2021 at Pinacothéque Museum in Luxembourg and second is the prize at the 1st International biennial Art Palermo 2021 in Sicily, Italy, issued by the two known International curators, Dott. Francesco Saverio Russo and Salvatore Saverio Russo. However, I love the nature and there is always some unexpected inspirations which are coming from it. As it is said, God is the best artist. It is shown to us through the perfect world and the nature he created. We just use the talent he gave to us.

As an artist who has achieved significant recognition and awards for your work, you have clearly navigated the complex journey of creative expression, public exhibition, and critical acclaim with notable success. How do these accolades and recognitions influence your future projects and the evolution of your artistic style?

The nature of my work, as an artist, is very close connected to the audience's reactions. I show my works public without any expectations, since i very much respect the audience's opinion. They are the most honest measurement for me, so to know if i am on the right path with my art. It makes me very happy to listen to my audience's reactions on my art, the achieved recognitions, awards, exhibitions, etc. Until now i am getting mostly positive opinions by them, which fills my emotions and increases my energy to create, so i have more and more art to give them back with all my love. Without support from my family and the audience and the energy they give me, i would not achieve all those recognitions and awards, coming from all around the world and issued by worldwide known art professionals, curators and galleries, which certainly is crystallizing the direction of my future projects and the evolution of my artistic style. There are always some new ideas and inspirations which are born after each achieved recognition for each of my artworks. I'm very much satisfied by all the comments I am getting in live, or social media, which means that my new idea caused a simple smile, a tear of joy, fulfil one's day, even a little bit of positive emotions, something that people forgot that it's a human nature, since in the last few decades people are forced to live more artificial than natural, mostly occupied with bad news, problems and sickness. Sometimes the evolution means going back in time, rebirth of some things or emotions which are collectively forgotten long time ago, under the everyday fast running life and circumstances of it.

As someone who creates both music and visual art, how do you see these two forms of expression interconnecting in your work?

It is not only the interconnection between these two forms of expression, but I see continuance, where one is finishing, the other is continuing the same theme, but different expression. The expression is from different perspective, so sometimes even unconsciously, the idea has been spread to the bigger proportion. It is happening very often to express my idea with lyrics, then the music and the arrangement will be added, that will be completed with the singing. After some time, if i feel necessity to say something more about that theme, everything can grow to another dimension, so the whole idea will become an inspiration for a new canvas or digital painting, or even a hand made jewelry. There are some of the songs that have the same titles as some of my paintings. Both of them are created on a base of the same idea. Doesn't matter if the expression of that idea has started by writing lyrics, or the beginning was the painting, the interconnection and continuation of the expression is always existing. Recently, I finished two new songs, which are very good examples for this question. One of it has title "Sweet freedom", sung by Lidija Kochovska, lyrics is mine and music and arrangement are by one of my very good friends and composers who lives in Sweeden, Alexandar Cekredzi, with whom we have a lot of collaborations. After completing the music part, it came an idea to make the painting with the same title. The same thing happened with my lyrics for the song "Wake up!", music and arrangement by Gjorgji Mishkovski, who lives in New Zealand. The song is still not published, but I hope it will be, very soon. However, there are my paintings with similar titles, that I made before or after I wrote the lyrics for that song, like “I’m back”, "Evolutionary awakening", "Wipe the God's children tears", "The great awakening" etc.

As an artist with a prolific history of exhibitions, could you share how these experiences have shaped your artistic journey? Specifically, how has the diversity of audiences and venues influenced your creative process, and are there any particular exhibitions that have been pivotal in defining or transforming your artistic style?

As I said above, it's essential to listen carefully to your audience. They are my real, honest and unique measurement unit, "where am I" with my expression and artistic style in the field of art. Some of them are following my work online, but some of them also visited my independent exhibitions that I had in Macedonia, in Skopje, Ohrid and Kumanovo, but also here in the Netherlands, few times on some of the most important art fairs, Nationale kunstdagen, in Utrecht, Art Eindhoven in Eindhoven, ADAF in Amsterdam.., Museum Louvre in Paris, Spectrum Red dot – Miami, Barcelona, Roma..etc. I already have arrangement for EuropArtfair in Amsterdam, next summer, 2024. Of course all exhibitions and Art Fairs in general gave me possibility to meet new art workers, gallerists, artists and new artistic perspectives, but also talk in live with all of them and with my audience who are following my work, sharing their view on my art and they are mostly happy in which direction is going my art. All that modifications and transforming in my artistic style is coming exactly by diversity of audiences, listening to them and also people who are very much experienced in art, like the curators, art collectors and etc. However, all events have special place on shaping my artistic path, since all of them had influence on my art in general and it's really hard to mention which of the exhibition significantly transformed my artistic style. The most correct answer would be, "all of them".

Your art often features women and musical instruments. What is the significance of these elements in your work?

It was a period of my life, especially before my first three independent exhibitions, the theme of more of my paintings where women, musical instruments, or a combination of both. That expression still appears in my recent paintings. The significance of those elements is the feeling they both awake in me, or the symbolic behind it. For me, through women acts I see the natural beauty and perfection of the woman's body as the unique space of growing new life and giving birth, being mother, occupied with one's own thoughts, whether melancholic, romantic, happy or amorous, described through the different sounds that is coming out by the certain musical instrument. Each sound "narrates" a different story and describes different character or expression of the object I paint.

That was a serial of more of 60 artworks, that was exhibited at Cultural Informative Centers of Skopje, Ohrid and Kumanovo, but the symbolic remains the same, also in some of my recent artworks. Even if through the years I made also portraits of popular artists in the music, due to my respect for their long lasting and successful musical careers, which remain for a long time on the world scene, transferring that organic sound from one generation to another.

Could you elaborate on your choice of mediums, like acrylic, aquarelle, and digital art, and how each medium allows you to express different aspects of your vision?

I cannot really say why I choose a certain medium... I just naturally have that "final cut" moment, when I am sure that the idea or the inspiration that came to me, would be the best expressed through that certain medium. But as I explained above for the continuance of the idea from lyrics to paintings and vice versa, the same continuance is happening in choosing mediums, so you will see the similar title on some digital art piece with the title of some acrylic on canvas, or pencil on paper, or dry pastel, or aquarelle and etc... I love to play with all of them. I am also different in the style. It's depend on the inspiration in that certain moment, if the painting will be abstract, or figurative. However, in my view, making art means giving part of you, transferring love to empty piece of any medium, where it will stay forever, awakening special feeling to everybody who will have possibility to see it. So there are not any rules or calculations in my artworks, but a pure freedom of expression and choosing medium for that idea, that will allow me to bring out all that I visualize and my wish to "pour" all of my emotions on that empty space, paper, canvas, or digital empty space, which stand in front of me, ready to be created, again and again.

How did the mentorship of Ratka Ilieva - Lale shape your development as a self-taught artist?

Art is my love, since before the primary school. In that period i was not conscious that i am making art, but it was just a game which I was enjoying to play. My medium that time was any street and sometimes, even walls of the buildings, where I was drawing with chalks in different colors. Then, time for school and home works came. That was first feeling of loosing my freedom of expression. My teacher noticed that, so he started to ask from me to draw extra themes, for some school exhibitions. He was very happy with my artworks and was expecting me to continue on high school for art. But, I already choose to continue in high school for biotechnology and later, pedagogy. There I met Ratka Ilieva - Lale, my professor of art that time and further, my mentor. She became immediately my very good friend and she understood me very clear, from very beginning, that I am in love with the art, I am every moment creating some piece of art, but I am not interested in educating myself further in that field, first because my father was not very happy when I mentioned that idea like an option, because his opinion was that it is very rare cases that are successful in art. You must be really very special, so to be able to live from art. The second reason, but even more important than the first one was that I just didn't want to lose the child in myself and I wanted to keep the original God's talent as a gift. I would not like to be wrongly understand... I am amazed by the artworks of the academic artists, who are finding solution faster and better, since they are educated in that field, but I just wanted to spread my original talent, I had since my childhood. The child who is enjoying playing with colors and doesn't want to be shaped under any artistic rules and under any circumstances. Lale, herself was an academic, respected artist, but she was also respecting my wish, so when she wanted to make me change anything on certain artwork, she was very carefully and kindly asking me "to try" to draw it in another way, to see if I will like it more. She would show me how and I was amazed by her artistic movements.. She knew how to make me think that it is always worth to try something different, something unpredictable. Under her mentorship I was always ready to represent my school on some contests or exhibitions on all the territory of the ex Yugoslavia that time and I've got many awards. I would mention my first prize in Rashice, Ljubljana, Slovenia in 1986 with my artwork titled "Scream" on the theme, second world war.

There were also school exhibitions and one of them was totally stolen. There were a significant number of artworks, since that time beside paintings, I was also experimenting with making jewelry and sculptures from clay.

Pity, Lale died very young (50). It was one of the biggest shocks I had that period of my life 2007 - 2010, since I lost my mother just 15 days before Lale died, and just few months after the death of one of my very good friends and the best Macedonian singer, Toshe Proeski (26), with whom we had also a lot of collaborations, as lyrics writer. That very bad period finished later with the death of my father in 2010, the lyrics writer of lot of songs on the Macedonian music scene, but especially known by his lyric for the most popular folk Macedonian patriotic song, "Pearl of Balkan" (orig. “Бисер балкански”), that was proposed to be an anthem back in 1990 and it is still very popular on all the Macedonian celebrations.

I lost four essential people in a very short period and in the same time we were moving with my son from Macedonia to the Netherlands, so he could start his study.

I couldn't focus on music or art more than ten years after all that lost, but step by step, the beautiful memories of all of them awakened my love for music and art again. Like a "Phoenix", one of my artworks, I successfully raised above all those tragic events and continued further, following and using all of the advice about art I've got from Lale; I've finished some of the not finished musical projects with Toshe; remembering and using all of the lessons I've got from my parents through life and here I am... They are always here when I need them, like my angels, when i have to decide anything very important I imagine what would be their best answer. Like they are in some other dimension, so they can see me, even if I cannot see them.

What message or feelings do you hope to evoke in viewers of your art, and how has audience reception influenced your artistic journey?

Doesn't matter of artistic materials and tools, or where I am living, I am always trying to express my own views on the certain, present, global events, or global dilemmas about questions without provided answers, offering my own thoughts and solutions, which are mostly very positive and connected with love as a source where everything starts and everything ends, so to start a new circle, or a new beginning. If my art can cause even one smile, if my art is the sunshine or light in one's life, the energy, frequency and vibration of humanity would be immediately on a higher level, so my message is always, as the title of one of my artworks, "Keep vibrating!", because each of us is part of the star seeds, who helps in the great evolutionary awakening. We should love and be kind one to another, because we all need each other, so we can continue exist as humanity.

If i succeed to make a bit of happiness in one's life, that means to me "a mission completed".

Thanks so much for the patience to all the readers. I hope we kept your attention. Everyone who is interested in seeing more of my artworks, I invite you to visit any of these three links of my official web page:

www.majapavlovska.com

www.majaangel.com

www.maja.pavlovska.nl