Aleksandra Vali: My Story
Aleksandra Vali’s journey to combine her love of art and teaching began at an early age. Although not without struggles, the lessons she’s learned have helped her turn her passions into her pieces.
I remember how, when I was seven years old, I was trying to decide between becoming an artist or a teacher; at the time the choice was too difficult, so I never answered my own question. Today, I combine my two passions and practice both.
At the age of ten, I started art school, and almost from the very beginning, I felt much too confined by the flat sheet of paper. I always needed volume and attempted to create three-dimensional images. It was not until university, after 13 years of art education, that I understood that volume, form, and texture are my three strongest motives. I am a sculptor!
When I moved to a metropolitan area for university, I encountered the typical problems of a broke college student. I struggled to find somewhere to stay, so for a time, I decoratively painted rooms at a daycare in exchange for being allowed to sleep there. It was difficult, but I persevered through the hardships and got an excellent fine arts education.
An enormous pleasure for me as an artist was working at a ceramics company, where the conditions were perfect for a creator. When I only worked on creating new sculptures, developed ideas, and participated in exhibitions, I did not have to conduct sales or do any other administrative work! There, I found everything: success, recognition, and a strong desire to work. But then we moved to the United States. I knew I would have to start from a clean slate again, which would take me to another level.
As a sculptor, using my hands to create an object with contrasts, shifting balance points, and a sense of movement is what I love. I started making jewelry because in addition to volume and texture, I have the opportunity to play with materials and create more dynamic shapes with very subtle details.
Coming to a new country was difficult. I did not know the language, and I felt disconnected and mute, but this made me really rethink my art. My past experiences gave me the ability to take a very conceptual approach to jewelry creation, from idea to object. My aesthetic philosophy is anchored in real feelings and raw emotion, and this helped me create my slogan “Feelings Carved into Metal,” and such works as “Anatomy of Time” or “Seeds of Lust & Life” were born.