Featured Artist

Elisaveta Sivas
Elisaveta Sivas is an artist-designer and who works in a few different artistic fields, including painting, ceramics and costume design. Elisaveta used to be a university researcher, but her desire to create art was strong, so she had to leave the university. She studied costume design in an evening school and art in different courses and studios. Elisaveta sees the creative process first of all as a way of understanding and improving herself and of understanding this world.

What do you love about the horses and birds which make frequent appearances in your art?
My horses and birds come from my childhood. It's something very dear to my heart, pure and intimate.  I suppose what we create tells much about what we feel. I think that a bird for me symbolizes my desire for being free and flying free, but sometimes also escaping from difficult life circumstances. They also represent for me grace and fragility and remind me of women. While the horse provides a feeling of stability, power and security. And also it's a symbol of nobility, grace and calm in my soul.

Are there particular artists who have influenced your work?
I love many artists, they have all influenced my work. I love Marc Chagall, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Leon Bakst, Mikhail Vrubel, Michel Macreau and many others. I love Art Brut, Art Deco, Naïve art. I adore Kashan ceramics and Japanese graphics. Classic music gives me a lot of inspiration. I like a lot Pier Paolo Pasolini and Andrei Tarkovsky. I love a lot Rustam Khamdamov, I adore his films and paintings.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
As to the mediums, I've started to make collage from tissue and wool lately. I have some material left from designing clothes, I use it for my paintings. I really do enjoy it. I love making woolen mane and tales for my horses and sometimes I make saddles from tissue. I make tissue dress and woolen hair for my women portraits.
As to the new themes, I've started to be interested in women's faces. It's a challenge for me, I am still searching my way and technique to paint women.

Many thanks to Elisaveta for sharing her work!

What do you think of her fantastic paintings?