Miha Sarani shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Miha, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I am a creature of habit, so every day – without exception – follows the same pattern. It starts with a cup of coffee and art-related research.
Back in November 2020, I started a project to keep my knowledge of arts better informed. I began an Instagram account called A_Picture_Plain. Its purpose was to highlight artworks by different artists every single day – from paintings, drawings, sculptures, to comic book pages, and film posters. The only mandate was to never revisit the same creator twice. I want artists included to range from old masters to contemporary practitioners, and I try to be as wide-ranging as possible.
This daily research has helped me discover many wonderful new artists daily, and it properly inspires me to work harder in my studio and on my own practice.
You can see more here:
https://www.instagram.com/a_picture_plain/
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Miha Sarani, and I’m a visual maker by vocation. I also work as an art educator, and a curator. I was born in Ljubljana – which today is the capital of Slovenia – and lived there until I was 20. I applied to the art academy in Ljubljana as a teen, but was rejected due to lack of talent. This failure would define the next couple of decades for me.
I moved permanently to the U.S. in 2007, then upon the advice of my wife Tomitha, I returned to school, earning my undergraduate degree from the University of Washington. I was a year short of my 40th birthday. A few years later I received my graduate degree – also from the University of Washington.
These learning moments remain incredibly impactful for me. Not only because I would be the first in my family to attend college, but more significantly it showed me that old fears and failures do not have to define an individual for the entirety of their life.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
That would absolutely have to be my friendship with my wife Tomitha. It remains to this day the most profound catalyst for personal change. What I do today – both in regards of my art practice and teaching – is mostly because of her encouragement and pointed advice.
Althought this has not always been the easiest endeavor for her – I do tend to be quite resistant to change in non-art related matters – I remain eternally grateful she continues to offer her counsel.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
As a child art making became my coping mechanism; or more specifically drawing in those days. The act of creating and being invested in something outside of myself, my thoughts has always helped me focus. To this day I find this act calming, as well as calibrating me to properly process whatever might be causing distress.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The importance of understanding the philosophical need for evolutionary changes in direction of our art practices. Increasingly arts are seen as just entertainment or an aesthetic endeavor. I believe this continues to contribute to a steady decline of artistic impact on our lives.
Additionally, many contemporary art practitioners have somewhat limited knowledge of how art practices evolved over time — from early experimentations with various binders in order to successfully mix pigment into an applicable compound, to the scaling of drawings in order to produce preparatory cartoons for frescos, etc.
It also appears most contemporary art practitioners spend very little time reflecting as to why art practices have changed so much – the profound significance of social, biological, technological, and philosophical developments on arts.
Personally, I see a large portion of my art practice as a ritual, a communion with the ancient practices of the
past. I continue reading up on historic accounts of pre-Renaissance methods, seeking out lesser
known practioners, while also incorporating contemporary methodologies and tools. I try to incorporate these ideas into my own practice and continue offering this knowledge to my students.
I feel incredibly grateful to the creators who laid the path for us — from Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Velázquez, Marcel Duchamp, Hannah Höch, Kurt Schwitters, Carolee Schneemann to Moebius, Francis Bacon, Alice Neel and many more.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I would hope people might remember me as someone who was determined. A creator that persevered once committed to an idea.
For example, my August exhibit “The ICON: a Man called Duff” was a project that has been 10 years in the making. I very much wanted to collaborate on a project with one of my childhood idols – the legendary rocker Duff McKagan. I unsuccessfully attempted to connect with Duff and ask if we sit for a portrait
The exhibit was a combination of portrait paintings and silkscreen mono prints featuring one of my childhood idols, the legendary rocker Duff McKagan of the Guns N’ Roses (and later Velvet Revolver) fame. The exhibit acted as a conclusion to a project originally commenced in 2014. That project, titled “Koncentrik Painting” series was inspired by a brief, accidental encounter with Duff at a concert (back in 2014). After attempting to connect with Duff for a decade, he generously volunteered his time in late 2024 to collaborate and contribute to the “The ICON: a Man called Duff” exhibit. He most graciously helped bring this passion project full circle and to a truly rewarding conclusion. The timing of this collaboration could not haven been more perfect since I have been fighting a pending and permanent loss of vision due to an old accident.
More information on this exhibit can be found at:
www.mihasarani.com/copy-of-the-icon-a-man-called-duff
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mihasarani.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slovenemachine
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miha-sarani/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miha.sarani.2025/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mihasarani
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