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Dodo Newman.
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Interview
by Ummuhan Kazanc
Dear
Dodo Newman, I want to start our interview with your striking Words about
Passion and Love: “Passion cannot be learned, cannot be faked or copied. It is
something that burns like fire, and if not kept alive, it soon can burn out.
The source of my Passion has always been Love, Love from people being inspired
by what I create and what I can give back.” Can we say that these sentences are
the main idea or philosophy of the art of Dodo Newman?
That is
exactly what I would say! The main energy that fuels all that I create is Love
for what I do, why I do it and what I get back. This is the cycle of energy
that creates worlds.
This
energy has to be taken care of and nurtured every day, which doesn’t always
happen. I have also had many phases on my journey when this flame faded or I
thought was completely gone.
It took
me a while to realize that it is never gone actually, it is there but we need
to reach out to and bring it to the surface, and then use it wisely. We only
see this light when we are in the dark and we learn how to do it only when the
light has faded.
Love is
joy and freedom, which are my main energies I need to create in every part of
my life.
You
have grown up in a diplomatic family and you have traveled all around the
world. You have been to many countries: India, Iran, Italy, England, USA,
France, and Monaco. You were born in Hungary and live in Germany. It is like a
colorful photograph from a mystical world. Can we say that colors of your
paintings have roots from all around the world?
Definitely.
I love to imagine myself as the One who brings back colors to those who left
them behind or forgot about them. It is so easy to blend into our everyday life
and forget that we all have colorful imaginations, unique visions, traits,
characteristics and life experiences that no one has ever had or ever will
have.
As much
as diverse we are all over the world, so much so we are connected and one. We
are different in are uniqueness and yet we are interconnected, interlaced.
What
affects one, effects everyone else and everything: people, animals, plants,
nature, our planet and the unseen. Since we are all connected, we have to take
care of all this.
My
intention is to bring back this sense of Oneness that makes life so special.
It is a
paradox, because we are different and yet One, not separate, united by a Life
energy that connects us. It is this mystery and wonder that I bring back
through my art, my writings, my talks, speeches, and videos, in whatever form
of expression I choose.
At what
stage of your life did you decide to be interested in art? When was the
breaking point?
As a
child, I was always in my imagination and very creative. I was always creating
something, whether it was drawing, knitting, and sewing, putting things
together. As I grew up, I went to several art courses, summer schools and
learned the basics from artists themselves.
Even
though the form of art always changed - I first wanted to be an animator, then
I started to learn to become a fashion designer - it was always something to do
with creativity. There was never a doubt in me that I will follow something
creative.
I had some
phases in my life when I faced challenges and did not make art, burying it deep
inside, and I seemed to have lost this direction in life, and yet art surfaced
and found me every time.
I think
the breaking point when I decided to really focus fully on making art was when
I came out to Berlin, Germany in the end of 2008. I had this determination in
me that no one could take away and, notwithstanding challenges and obstacles -
I moved to Berlin to make and give art.
But
then again, I had other breaking points on this path, like the one when I
really hit rock bottom some years ago. Following a personal life situation of
break that resulted in everything fall apart around me, I almost gave up art
and found back to it step-by-step. As someone living from my creative energies,
it is linked to my life closely and so I had to come back to it in a way as I
built back my life from scratch, brick by brick.
This is
why I wrote the Book “Creating Again” during the pandemic, which is planned to
come out this year, to give back to other artists and creatives who have or are
going through similar challenges and obstacles - especially during these tough
times - from my life experiences and learnings.
I also
created recently an online course on it, which gives practical guidance as well
to those who might feel lost in our world, believing they have lost their
creative energies as well.
Art is
not only something that I do because I love it, but somehow I believe it is
part of my life purpose to contribute to transformation through my art and its
message, there is a deep energy that pushes and guides me to follow this path.
I
always say that I don’t do art, but art is me and through it I can give and be
part of a bigger creation.
Bold
colors and forms, use of space and light are very striking in your works of
art. They are full of energy. What is your secret? Can we easily define your
style as Abstract Expressionism?
I
believe that is the style that it can be categorized into, at least that is
what my master-teacher told me when I first learned techniques with him. I also
felt more inspired by the Abstract Expressionists. But my art is also lyrical
and full of movement, expressing energies.
The
space and energy has an interesting story and meaning in my path and art I
create.
I never
had the chance to learn art academically, but at one point I was approached by
a well-known artist at that time in Hungary. He said he wanted to teach me all
the possible techniques that can help me express myself through art.
When I
first took my paintings to him for consideration, he said he could see that I
lacked the skills that you can learn through discipline in a school.
But he
said I brought out the sense of space and spaciousness in my artworks that no
one can learn, because it is something we are born with, it is within. He found
that this inherent and naturally expressing space was my main characteristic of
my art.
This
has been my main moving element ever since. I was always fascinated by
energies, the movement of things that we cannot see with our eyes, the unseen
universe. For example, our emotions inside are all energies that move in our
inner space. The ideas and thoughts we have is energy form, Life itself is
energy Source, from which all humans, and everything on our planet lives
through.
I
express this energy through the dance of light and colors, forms and textures
that are in contrast and that sometimes fall apart to then come together in a
sort of dance.
You
have ties with Monaco and Royal Family. Could you tell us about this exciting
project?
I
wouldn’t say ties, but I had connection to Monaco through one of my symbolical
artwork that I created for Princess Charlene of Monaco. Since my life is interlaced with the art I create,
this project was also a reflection of my life then when I created it.
I was
pregnant with my daughter, when I envisioned this project as a symbol of love
and union for the Princess of Monaco. As I was often visiting Monaco for
private reasons at that time, the piece of artwork was linked to Monaco as
well.
The
whole artwork is a piece full of symbols. It is created with resin and pigments
on Plexiglas, cut in the middle by a wave that divides the two piece. The two
parts are connected and yet divided, meaning our lives and people we meet are
connected too and yet we are unique.
The
main colors are various shades of purple, the favorite color of the Princess,
and oyster colors, which are fable-like and mysteriously changing. I love this
play of colors as they change during the different times of the day and
seasons.
There
is a big piece of coal on each part of the artwork, surrounded by many small
diamonds. This symbolizes the cycle of life and death that is part of our human
lives.
One
side of the artwork was donated to the Princess and the other was bought
privately.
For me,
this artwork is more than its obviously luxurious materials and links to
Monaco. As I was pregnant then and while I was creating, I was looking forward
to bring forth a new life into the world.
My
daughter is another gift from life, through her I have discovered more of my
true Self, and have deepened my meaning for life. In that period I experienced
immense joy and also pain, sorrow. Both of these parts of emotions are present
in our lives. We cry and laugh, and then we laugh again.
Expecting
her gave me new beginnings and a knowing that life is a wonderful adventure if
you look at it and live it that way.
So,
that piece of project is linked to life, love and my daughter.
100th
Anniversary of the Titanic Cultural Commemorative Project was inspired by you.
Could you share your experiences?
Whenever
I have a project, a vision in mind they all have meanings behind them. Just as
the piece for the Princess of Monaco, this project dedicated to the legendary
ship of Titanic also had a deeper meaning.
There
were 43 nations on board the Titanic ship, all seeking out a dream and
envisioning a new start in America, a new land. They were filled with hope,
people from an incredible variety of backgrounds, gender, cultures, life
experiences, guided by faith and hope, all in one boat.
We are
all in one boat, just as those people then and there. We are all One, no matter
where we come from. We are joined by hope, life, death and the dreams of
creating our lives.
What I
enjoyed most is that I collaborated with 13 embassies in Germany, with nations
who were also onboard the Titanic. They collaborated on the Publication we
created for this project and I also had my works displayed at some embassies.
My art can be found also in some of these embassies.
It was
very interesting to see how these embassies contributed with cultural knowledge
to the project even though they were different. We all worked in harmony
because of the story, the meaning it had. I love stories that uplift, because they teach and
inspire us.
This
project is dedicated to my grandmother, who was my hero. She was a Holocaust
survivor and yet she was an amazingly uplifting and wise person. She was strong
and full of energy all through her life.
As you
see, my art reflects my life as well because as I said before, art is me.
What
are your next, future project plans?
Since
space is something I have been contemplating since I am a child, I am planning
to create around this theme, the inner and outer space or universe. Whatever we
see around us is within us as well. The journey outside starts with the journey
within. The more we discover of our external universe, the more we realize that
all that is inside of us as well. Somehow, the outer and the inner universe is
connected, again a mystery that opens up new visions.
I am
also very interested in combining the traditional techniques with the new,
digital ones. Respecting the past and combining it with innovative elements is
exciting and can speak and reach to more people.
You
have works of art in very important collections like Saudi Royal family, Monaco
Royal Family. What do you feel when you sold your works? What can you tell art
lovers who are planning to buy your works?
For me,
it does not matter who buys my art, who decides to live with them and who
collects them, whether it is royalty or not. What really matters is what my art
makes you feel.
If you
feel different, reminding you, taking you somewhere else, moving and making you
contemplate on deeper things, then I have given you something through my art.
Buying
is an important element, because it keeps the energy alive and contributes to
making more art. I live through this cycle of energy.
Bringing
someone joy as they see my art and imagine and put it in their environments,
living with it is a special bond between artist and buyer/collector.
I have
collectors all over the world and I love to think that pieces of my story,
imagination and vision are spread over in different homes, places in different
parts of the world.
Art is
more than decoration, it brings a piece of inner world to life. When someone
decides to buy my artwork, decides to have a piece of this inner energy as
well, and makes it their own.
Just as
every artwork I create has a story around it, every artwork that someone buys
has a special story, meaning linked to it. This link is special and it is its real
value.
FOR MORE INFO
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