Tatiana Ivchenkova: A Portraitist of the Heart

Hello Tatiana, thank you for taking the time to talk with us today! Let's start with the most obvious question, how did you become an artist?

My first artistic experience dates back to the 1970’s. I was seated on a stool in front of a white wall with a red pencil in hand and decided to create a nice fresco. It was nice in my opinion, but my mother was less than charmed by it. 

I always liked to draw, but I never attended art classes outside of the school programs. After graduating from high school, I went to med school, which unfortunately kept me away from my art. When I finally received my diploma, I started my career as a doctor and from there, gradually regained my passion for drawing and painting. 

Fortunately, the Academy of Architecture and Art was just next door to my hospital. One day, I decided to walk through the door. In 2004, I obtained my second degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. In 2005, I left the hospital to devote myself exclusively to art.

Where do you work and how does a session take place? 

I don't have a studio. My studio is at home, you could say that I live in my studio. And so much the better, because I often work at night. My creative sessions are spontaneous, unless I have a deadline to meet. Sometimes I work on several projects at the same time, it depends on the inspiration. 

Which media and techniques do you prefer?

Ten to fifteen years ago, I worked a lot with acrylic. I also used ink, pencil, charcoal and  realized digital designs on a tablet.  

I took courses in Chinese calligraphy and painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Paris VIII. But little by little, I started to learn to use oil painting and eventually gave up acrylic altogether in 2016.

My drawing techniques have also changed. I still continue to draw with ink, but in recent years I have combined oil pastel with black stone (or ink) on colored or handmade paper. I like to use other mixed techniques, for example, dry pastel with ink on Canson tinted paper or black ink with colored pencils on grey or black paper.

Portraiture is a predominant subject in your works. Are your subjects real people or characters from your imagination?  

Since childhood, I have been interested in faces. I find that the human face is the most important part of our being. It carries everything we need to know about the state of one's soul and mind.  

Most of the time my subjects are strangers. I often work from photos, but never copy them. When a pose, facial expression or hairstyle attracts me, I start drawing. The result is often unexpected, even to me, and has almost nothing to do with the model. 

Sometimes I create portraits of my friends or work on commission. In these cases, the resemblance is visible. When I go on holiday, I make sketches with real people, passers-byers walking on the street, vacationers on the beach, etc. They remain, however, completely anonymous.  

The faces appear sometimes anonymous, sometimes lacking structure or particularly expressive. What is the message here? 

The human face moves and changes all the time. Our facial muscles allow us to change its expressions at lightning speed. It shows everything and nothing all at the same time, it will always be an enigma.

It is said that we don't know ourselves, so how can we know others? Is it me, this face I see in the mirror? Or a stranger? I leave it up to the viewer to fill in the missing details. Every time they look at one of these faces, it won’t be the same. 

Can you tell us the story behind your "Paris" series?

Almost nine years ago, I went to the Halle St-Pierre for a conference on Surrealism and happened to meet a gentleman who owns the smallest theater in Paris: "Au Petit Théâtre du Bonheur".

Mr. Silvio saw my drawings and suggested that I first create a series of illustrations about Montmartre and use them as postcards for tourists and visitors in his theater.  

After this series, we decided to make another one, illustrating Paris and its most famous landmarks. In all, I made 25 drawings. In most of the illustrations you can see two lovers kissing as they walk around. 

Which artists most inspire you? 

For their wonderful drawings and pure lines, I admire Rembrandt and Schiele. As for portraitists, Rembrandt and Valentin Serov. 

I’m inspired by Turner and the Impressionists for their use of color and light, and Chagall for his tenderness and imagination.  

Soutine, Van Gogh, Bacon and Freud are inspirations for their expression of power. In terms of living artists, I admire Safet Zec for his mastery of drawing and unforgettable faces. Last but not least there’s Jake Wood-Evans, Nicola Samori and Alex Kanevsky for their sublime and mysterious subjects.