Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexandra Cicorschi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alexandra, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
The largest part of my flow of creativity comes from my daily practice and the continuity of work through dedicated time at my studio. My process takes time. It requires planning and a slow, meticulous execution. This is a satisfying way of working for me, a meditative process that allows thoughts and ideas to flow freely. The more I show up for my work, the more I create opportunity for creativity to stay alive.
Most works I make build from a previous idea whether it’s a continuation, evolution or departure from it. If I was to try and trace back through this thread of ideas, underneath it all are my life experiences that continue to shape who I am. My first years of life in Romania were marked by scarcity because during those last years of communism, the vast majority of the population didn’t have access to resources including food. The most wide-spread form of creativity around me at that time was the way in which people fixed and repurposed objects out of need. I’ve come to love working with salvaged materials because I find so much meaning and joy in giving used objects a new life.
The rapid transition to capitalism and consumerism I experienced growing up has helped me appreciate the importance of generational traditions and crafts that were passed down inside communities. While I maintain a curiosity for change, technology and even AI, I value the importance of the “old” way of doing things. I use the most advanced power tools in my woodshop, but I still write by hand with a foundation pen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I create artworks out of a variety of salvaged and repurposed wood. Working with salvaged materials often means a lot of prep work, from taking furniture apart to removing nails from construction materials. Often, I don’t even know what wood I have on hand until I strip away all the layers of varnish and paint. Many of the objects I find make me think of the passage of time and the nature that still surrounds us even in this manufactured state. Salvaged objects also carry with them a previous life, often dating back hundreds of years. For me, recycling is a synonym with living an honest life and helping others. I practice it in my art in the hope that it will inspire others too.
When I moved from Germany to California in 2011, I was immediately struck by the old growth slabs of redwood lying on sidewalks, waiting to be hauled away. I found it impossible to regard it as trash, and that is how I started collecting and working with wood in the first place. I now find it important to source my materials and upcycle them with the intention of not purchasing new lumber.
It’s amazing how much variety of wood types I have found over time and how many different colors and patterns they have. I have worked with at least forty different types of wood so far, from local trees to exotic species and engineered materials. The wood strips I create from these found materials are like brushstrokes inside my canvases. I create abstract compositions based on ideas of perpetual movement and transformation. Continuity is at the base of creation because everything evolves from something else. My work is a reflection on the process of recirculating, which is a condition for life to exist, in the same way nature renews itself through the cycle of life and death.
In the upcoming months, I am excited to be a part of the opening exhibition for Cura Contemporary in Morgan Hill. Their new building and gallery space, opening in fall of 2024, will host thoughtfully curated exhibitions, art workshops and culinary experiences. And the modern building is a work of art in itself!
I am also thrilled for my upcoming exhibition at TINT gallery in San Francisco in September 2024. My new body of work will be inspired by water, movement and dance. More details coming soon in my newsletter and Instagram page!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In my case, the first step I needed to take was a profound soul-searching and exploration in order to find the medium and form of art I wanted to pursue.
The second was the risk I took by quitting my day job along with the financial stability that came with it. This wasn’t easy at all since at the time I was a single mother and the cost of living in San Francisco was and is extremely high.
Thirdly, I am actively working on perseverance combined with an almost blind belief that the work will continue to grow and impact others. Creative pursuits don’t come with stability nor do they always feel rewarding. I believe and trust that if the work is good and we keep at it, life will find a way to let us continue doing it.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
I think we all benefit from starting out by trying different things, improving, and learning and exposing ourselves to as many experiences as possible. Over time something will stand out, and that will be the one or the few things we want to go all in with. We start broadly and spread as much as possible at first, and then choose where to dive deep. I think this may go hand in hand with age as well, where in the first part of our lives we are full of energy, adventurous and daring. At some point we start quietening down and we long for more time spent with less things. It takes practice and some amount of life experiences to be able to sit with something for a long time so we get to know it to the core and be good at it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexandracicorschi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandra_cicorschi
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.cicorschi
Image Credits
Bogdan Pastor Mushi Wooseong James
