Artist Q&A with Marina Levitan

Why did you become an artist?

I became an artist because from my childhood I was intrigued by intricacies of the form and the color, the poetry of shapes. I could spend hours watching intersections between objects and forms created by different types of light. The flow of my life took me away from painting, although I learned in a art school while attending highschool, after immigration from USSR to Israel I decided to tike more practical path of graphic design but after visiting Italy at 2009 I understood that I have to return to art and took a 4 years masterclass in Jerusalem Studio School as a second education and this decision transformed my life.

How is your work different than everything out there?

I think that drawing is very personal, even intimate not unlike a fingerprint, because it reflects the way the person sees the surrounding world. As every person is unique, also his or her perspective is unique. Our perception of the surrounding is not entirely visual, it is affected by our thoughts and feelings in that single moment of perception. Drawing is trying to capture this single unique moment of our life in the way that over mediums are unable to.

What’s different about your current body of work?

My current body of work is different for obvious reasons, that lately my life and surrounding reality has changed drastically, along with my perception of it. Last half a year I’ve barely left home because my family members are in a high risk group. Previously I preferred to draw landscapes and express my perception of nature. Now my body of work is limited to the forms I can see in my studio or from the window of my studio.

What’s coming up for you?

Soon coming up “Salon Hakubiya”, it’s a large group exhibition showing modern art in Israel, i will take part in this exhibition, and also I’m working on my new website.

Who are some of your favorite emerging artists?

Three of my current favorites include Oleg Lissin, Clare Haward, and Avigail Fried.

To learn more about Marina and her work, please visit her art site.