Artist Interview: Brikena Boci

What is your name:

Brikena Boci

Do you have a formal art education or are you a self taught artist:

I received my Bachelors of Art from “Western Michigan

University”,Kalamazoo Michigan in 2006. I continued my

graduate work at “Northern Illinois University”, Illinois and recently

graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting.

What is the style of your pieces:

I call my style: Abstract/ Conceptual

What is the medium in which you work:

I work with mixed media, fibers and repurposed materials. In

paintings I mix oils, watercolors, graphite pencils, and charcoals.

In my 3-d work and installations I use mostly repurposed fibers,

cardboard, threads, and other materials. Recently I am also

incorporating sound and video as part of my installations.

What started you on your path as an artist:

In my homeland of Albania I attended an art/music elementary/

high school which clearly exposed me to art at a young age and

got me started on drawing and painting. But what really had a

great impact on me when I was 16 years old was my encounter in

1998, with a photographer from Kosovo. During the war in

Kosovo many kosovar-albanians fled their homes and were

hosted in refugee camps and peoples houses in Albania, and I

had the opportunity to meet the kosovar photographer when he

was hosted in my house by my family during the war. In the many

conversations I had with him about art and the role of artists in

society, what really struck me and influenced me to pursue the

path as an artist, was what he said about his work:

“ I left my home burning behind, and the most important treasure

I had- my photographs documenting the war , I buried them

quickly in my garden, as I was trying to escape from the serbian

soldiers getting closer to my house”

What is one of the most important things that art has brought to

your life:

Making art has made me more sensitive and attentive to what

happens around me, and has given me the opportunity to address

and bring up personal, social or political conflicts that I

experience/experienced to the larger community, open for

interpretations.

What is your favorite genre of art besides the one you work in:

Baroque because of being such a dramatic style that evokes

strong emotion and Art Brut for its rawness and purity of

expression.

Do you have art showings, and if so what are they typically like:

I have shown in formal gallery settings, as well as apartment

galleries, union league club, charity events, and art fairs.

Do you have a certain set of clothes you make art in:

Just comfortable clothes, not really a specific set of clothes.

What has been the most frustrating part of being an artist?

Starting a new body of work, which I think is challenging for most

artists, especially when you explore on new materials.

What is your favorite sandwich of all time:

Greek gyro , especially the ones I had in Greece.

Has this year brought about any changes in your work, and if so

what are they:

I am working on a new body of work, which involves embroidery,

sound and light possibly incorporated inside each piece.

Embroidery, as well as incorporating light and sound inside the

piece is something new that I working on right now.

Who is your favorite artist alive or dead:

I really like the work of colombian born artist Doris Salcedo and

Chicago artist Leon Golub, even though their styles are very

different from one another their work which is based on their

personal experiences brings up issues of race, of the

marginalized innocent victims of violence, war, and human

suffering.

What is the most moving piece of artwork that you have seen in

person:

Jeremy Deller: It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq, at the

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 2009. The museum

gallery was transformed into a space for open conversations

between veterans, journalists, scholars, Iraqi nationals and gallery

visitors to hold discussions about the present circumstances in

Iraq.

Do you have any animals, and what do they think of your work:

I have a cat who is 2 years old who loves my work. My cat loves

to sit and play with my thread and fabrics, she likes hiding inside

my 3-d sculptures, she thinks its her playground.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions you would like to share

with us:

I am showing at the ArtPrize in Grand Rapids , Michigan which

runs from september 22nd- October 6th.

 

email: brikenaboci@gmail.com

web: www.brikenaboci.com