Liliia Kucher
Oyster River Pages: Why do you write and/or create?
Liliia Kucher: I have loved art since before I could even read. Once at my grandma's I saw a book with pictures of classical sculpture and oil paintings and I was so captivated when looking at them. As long as I remember myself, I was always very fascinated by visuals, be it an artwork or simply something that was around me. I could observe something that had caught my eye for a very long time and I fantasised over it. I enjoyed the arts classes a lot. I continued admiring art and was taking pictures sometimes. Once a friend of mine who was a professional photographer encouraged me to try doing photography seriously. That's how I finally found a way to communicate my ideas and share them with others.
My photography is influenced by the way I have come to respond to the memories of my experience of traumatic events in my early life. I process those traumas through giving those memories a shape and letting them resurface. This re-experiencing of repressed emotions and sharing them with others eventually leads to a cathartic release. The main theme I explore in my work is the complexity of the relationships between people. Other recurring themes are loss, memory, longing, and the experience of life struggles. Driving my practice is an underlying need to share stories and emotions, to reach out and realise we are not alone. My aim is to share strong personal stories that can connect and resonate with different people, from different socio-cultural backgrounds, and to encourage empathy and understanding.
ORP: What is the most challenging aspect of your artistic process?
LK: While the creation of each particular artwork comes with its own challenges, generally the most difficult part for me is finding a visual representation of a concept I want to communicate with others. It is similar to a feeling when you know what you want to say, but cannot find a perfect word for it. It is quite painful and discouraging process. I was told by my fellow artists to embrace this uncertainty. So, I photograph intuitively, then pause and try to make sense. Then I continue taking pictures and analysing them until finally everything comes together. And that is a very rewarding feeling. Overcoming these challenges lead to the realisation that each previous experiment taught me something new about my practice and photography in general.
ORP: What do you think is the best way to improve writing and/or artistic skills?
LK: I think the best way to develop your artistic practice is to recurrently challenge yourself. So much can be learned while setting goals and seeing them through to the end. In the process, there are always different problems to solve, and realisation of the new skills which need to be developed. Consistency and discipline are also important. Sometimes I look at my earlier works and realise how much my work has evolved since then. And I imagine how much it will still change throughout my life.
ORP: Do habits help or hinder creativity? Why or why not?
LK: When creating, I used to go with the flow, and my work was disorganised, and sometimes I found myself being stuck. When I developed habits and a certain routine, my creativity and productivity increased greatly. I think this was due to finding a balance between spontaneity and discipline. Setting rules and deadlines prevented me from being distracted. I started planning my work activities for years ahead, for the current year, a month, a week and for each day. Yet, as I'm naturally an impulsive person, there are always some detours. Usually, my most interesting work results when I plan and research in advance, while in the process my spontaneity lets me notice something new to explore. I don't think that habits and discipline would ever drain my creativity. I always have some ideas. I have so many ideas. If I couldn't find ways to control that creative flow, I would never be able to complete the work.
