Interview: Daria Sadygalieva
OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about your creative activity / work.
Daria Sadygalieva: My name is Daria, I am an architect, graphic artist, member of the Association of Artists of Botanical Art of Russia (AHBI) and member of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
My activity has always been connected with architecture and design, but at the same time I had a great desire to do something really important. Having a lot of practical experience and constantly developing my knowledge in the field of architecture, I teach graduate students of the Faculty of Architecture at KRSU.
In 2013, I founded the KORU studio, where I can fully realize my vision in matters of art education.
It is very important for me to do what I love. After all, education is a great responsibility both to the child and his parents and to society as a whole.
OCA: What is the main sense of your studio?
DS: At the beginning, I managed to assemble a team of like-minded people who happily supported my idea of realizing a unique place for creativity. All the teachers of the studio are practicing artists, teachers who are passionate about their work and have extensive experience in this field. The main areas of the studio are academic drawing, painting, sketching and graphics.
OCA: Why did you choose this particular activity?
DS: Currently, there is a certain turning point in art education. Time, living conditions and goals have changed. Modern children are completely different.
They perceive information differently and old methods no longer work. I try to look far ahead and develop new teaching methods in this area, keeping the experience of the past.
OCA:What is special about your training program?
DS: Our main aim is to instill love for art, develop a sense of taste and the ability to think creatively. The programs are designed in such a way that in an unobtrusive form they give the necessary material consistently and arouse the students’ interest in creative self-development. It is important to take into account not only the child’s age, but also their hobbies in everyday life, how they perceive the surrounding reality.
Each child is unique and you need to be able to get right with anyone.
A studio is not a school. Unfortunately, we are faced with the problem of limited time for classes, However, despite this, we see positive dynamics and results of our activities. We are proud of the achievements of our students who successfully enter local and foreign universities, win competitions and participate in exhibitions in the visual arts.
OCA: Who is your role model in the creative space/ sphere of your art?
DS: Both masters of the past and contemporary artists have presented the world with a huge amount of their works. I cannot single out one artist who would be an example to follow. We all learn from other people’s works and I respect the work of any artist. But it is very important not to imitate someone and find your own ways of self-expression.
OCA: When and where have you heard about ECG for the first time?
DS: One year ago I was lucky to meet Marat Akhmedjanov and Tatiana Shevchenko (Executive Director of ECG (London)). We had a meeting where they talked about the plans of the Guild. It was very pleasant that there are people like that who are concerned about the development of art in Central Asia.
OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work?
DS: It is very pleasant that ECG helps many creative people to express themselves far beyond the borders of Kyrgyzstan.
On the basis of our studio, we held a face-to-face meeting of the members of the Guild, where we shared with each other the results of our activities. Personally, such meetings inspire me and give me confidence that we are doing important and necessary work.
OCA: What is the Guild for you?
DS: I am very happy to be a part of this community. We are promoting art and I am always glad to take part in projects and exhibitions of the Guild.
Perhaps in the future we will see the students of our studio among the participants of ECG exhibitions and competitions
OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild, who are just starting their career?
DS: I wish everyone who is engaged in creativity not to be afraid to express themselves, to work hard, to study, to find strength and inspiration for creativity in any situation. Do not give up when you fail, believe in yourself and do not betray your ideas!