Ana Maria Szöllösi

Ana Maria Szöllösi (born in 1994, Romania) lives and works in Timișoara, where she graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Design in 2018 and studied with a scholarship at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. In her artistic practice, she identifies mainly with painting, but also analogue photography, being interested in the criss cross of these two mediums. In her compositions, she uses symbols which are offering clues about the ideas explored. This particular way of conceptualising spaces and symbols through painting, works as a means of access between a personal plan and a way of observing her surroundings.

You can follow Ana on her Instagram profile.

When did you discover your passion for art and what does art mean to you?

At first, I was drawn by the technical process behind the paintings themselves I would look at as a child. I always observed what was around me – from decorative objects to people, and, as I grew, my interest in art also grew. These observations made me realize early on that art is a means of communication.

Describe yourself briefly: what triggers your emotions or what makes you angry?

I usually need a daily routine and the balance given by my sports practice. Once every few months, I try to break it by travelling. If I manage to follow this pace, my creativity is flourishing naturally. I really like a good concert and I enjoy any jam session or performance available on my channels. This mix of activities works for me to stimulate the creative process influencing my work.

Describe your artistic vision: sources of inspiration, techniques, messages you want to communicate to audiences.

I am interested in expressing the non-visual by the means of an abstract language; the way colours interact on canvas fascinates me. But these things become truly valuable when accompanied by a dialogue with the audience. I get touched by the experiences that I’m going through and the conversations I get to have with people around me so I filter the ideas that are stuck with me in order to translate them into my work. Even though the job of an artist is predominantly based on moments of solitude and reflection, I believe we must participate in debates and meetings. This is why I really appreciated the context given by Accelerator programme. As a source of inspiration, I have various ways of getting on my track, but when I feel unmotivated, I like listening to TalkArt podcasts and watching Art21 videos. Browsing through fragments of the mental and technical processes other artists go through relaxes me.

Who influenced you on your path and how?

The people whom I met at the starting point during my studies and during my early development stage influenced me deeply. I had very good conversations with Dan Toma, my diploma thesis professor and, equally, with Daniela Constantin, during the master studies. At the university, Bogdan Rața held a free attendance course and I remember, while leaving the class, how overwhelmed I was by the debates we had and the albums we all explored.

What work of art your produced you like best and what does it mean to you?

“Illusion” – one of the artworks of my final diploma project – was very dear to me. It depicts a melancholic state of mind situated at the border between dream and reality. It represents our constant projection of a future based on past experiences. As we are always anchored in these unrealistic time frames, this work conveys the end and the beginning of a new chapter and I still ruminate on it so I believe it has a strong significance.

What moment in your career made you happy?

I believe it was the moment when a somebody wrote personal feelings after having looked, in an exhibition, at one of my works. I felt it as a confirmation that the path I had chosen was the right one for me.

What do you expect from Accelerator programme?

I am impressed by the openness of Accelerator’s mentors. They offered us a lot of useful information which, otherwise, we wouldn’t have had access to and they answered all the questions we had. I plan to use many of their guidelines in my work. I also believe taking part in everything Accelerator means represents, for me, an anchor in a pragmatic reality. I feel it came at the right time for me.

What other artists inspired you and why?

Peter Doig is an artist whose artworks still surprise me, especially from the chromatic point of view, and I return to him from time to time. I would mention one of his works which is called “Hitch Hiker”, because it holds my appreciation being one of the first paintings that I truly admired. My influences definitely vary a lot and are coming from different fields, changing often based on my interests, but I mentioned him because he still is a reference even after years.

What are your future plans?

I plan to keep working freely and constantly and to get involved in various projects. I would like to start working on my online portfolio.

in Back to Where It All Began Exhibition