Dumitrița Răzlog uses photography in relation to other media (painting, drawing, interventions with modeling clay) and composes from fragments of reality a representation of her inner world. She transforms recognizable images to include elements that speak about time, memory, intimacy, and emotions generated by the interaction with the moment and the photographed content. She studied Mural Art in Bucharest and received two scholarships in Italy, where she shifted her focus to photography and laid the foundation for the visual language that defines her artistic practice.
Q&A with Dumitrița Răzlog
When did you discover your passion for art and what does art mean to you?
I discovered art while preparing for university, from the discussions about art with Ioana Panaitescu, Tudor Marinescu and Smaranda Ciubotaru. I realized then that art was a form of communication that cannot be drained, like a language that has an infinite number of words, and this idea won me over forever.
Briefly describe yourself: what excites you, what makes you angry?
I am moved by how well the world is built. Anywhere you can find a balance when you need it. From a walk that puts your thoughts back together to a random moment when the light is so good that everything you see becomes poetry, including the dishes you may or may not have just washed.
I am angry at things and actions that bring unnecessary suffering to life in all its forms.
Describe your artistic vision.
I am constantly collecting photographs of what and who surrounds me. Through them, I open a door for imagination by relating them to other media: painting, drawing, modeling in plasticine. I use the distortion of photographed reality to include elements that speak about my inner world, about time, memory, intimacy.
The act of questioning and fragmenting reality becomes a working technique that connects me to the way I feel we all experience everyday life in the age of internet and deepfake.
Who has influenced you along the way and how?
I have been influenced by the experiences and discussions with those who have broadened my thoughts and my soul.
Which of your artworks you like the most and why?
The next one, because I like the time when work is justified by how an idea turns into matter.
Tell us about a moment in your career so far that made you happy?
I think the moment that made me happy is also the one that scared me: when I realized this is what I was going to do. Joy became a road we call a career.
What do you expect from Accelerator program?
The best experiences I’ve had have been when I’ve been expecting nothing and staying open to possibilities. It’s difficult now to maintain that state because I’m excited about the program and the upcoming discussions with mentors and other artists.
What artist inspired you and why?
I love watching interviews with artists from all times and places. Most of the questions artists receive are the ones I would ask too, which creates the feeling of a dialog. The last one I saw was with Duchamp, surrounded by his works which he spoke about with great candor and honesty in the simplest of words. It was nice to see from that perspective the man who laid the foundation for the paradigm through which we all view art today.
What are your future plans?
In my freshman year of college, a friend of mine with many years of experience told me to experiment with everything I can get my hands on, because I’m in the best position to make mistakes. I guess he didn’t expect me to make this a way of working that I feel I will keep for a while.