Interviewing Sylvie Stojanovski

Gallery 1265 talked with artist Sylvie Stojanovski.

Sylvie Stojanovski

She/her.

Specialist in Arts Management, Minor in Studio Art. Graduating in June 2021. 

Completed independent studies in Arts Entrepreneurship and Embodied Learning, Community Arts and the Environment. 

Where are you from? Where did you grow up? 

 Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. 

What type of art do you make?

Mixed Media.  

What type of art would you like to try in the future? 

Ever-evolving large-scale art installations, bio-based epoxy art with found natural objects, and more community-engaged work! 

What have you been working on in the past year?

I’ve been creating art alongside nature and communities—inviting them to become active participants in the genesis of my work. Last summer, I had a chance to complete a community arts residency with VIBE Arts, in which I worked with Scarborough youth to develop a series of pattern-maps inspired by places that bring us a sense of comfort, joy, and calm. More recently, I’ve been creating what I call “Semblance Scapes”—mixed media drawings that explore the aesthetic similarities between human bodies and the environments they traverse. This series in particular draws parallels between the marks found on my skin and those that grace the bark of the quince tree outside of my house.

Semblance Scapes (2021)

Watercolour, embossing, and vellum.

3 of a series of 8 multi-layered, mixed media works that draw parallels between the marks found on my own skin and those that grace the bark of the quince tree outside my house. Created through the process of befriending a tree.

What are some themes you’ve been exploring through your art? 

I’m interested in exploring the myriad of relationships we have with the natural world—from the transience of reflections on water, to the complexity of memories of the land we hold from childhood. As an eco-feminist and embodied learning advocate, I aspire to create biophilic experiences that promote radical connection and collective healing.

What or who inspires or influences your art?

My art is influenced by the rhythm of the seasons, and the cyclical movement of the moon. I draw inspiration from the constancy of change that characterizes life on earth. 

Scarborough Scapes (2020)

Watercolours and found natural objects.

Scarborough Pattern Maps (2020)

Digital drawing.

Thanks to Sylvie Stojanovski for sharing.

Follow Sylvie on Instagram as @anepicenigma & @anartsyenigma

Visit Sylvie’s website sylviestojanovski.com