Name, nationality, town/country

Maryia Bulka, Belarusian, born and raised in Belarus, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA

What is the process that drives you to be the artist you are today?

Striving to be a better craftsman: improving my skills, trying different media and learning new techniques.

3 adjectives that define you the best?

Considerate, optimistic, persistent

What are your influences? your work inspiration?

I believe that personality (and one’s artistic style as one of its expressions) is shaped by the environment: people, nature, culture and etc. I have always been surrounded by good-hearted and hardworking people (my family, teachers, friends) so I can’t but live up to them. As to artistic inspirations, I look up to Alexander Rodchenko, Marc Chagall, Josef Koudelka to name a few.

Your working technique(s) (pen, stencil, paint, ink, digital…)?

I use ink for my paintings and make sketches in an old-school way – with a pencil. Sometimes I use watercolors, when I need color accents. For postcards, which are my film photographs, I use digital scans, which I edit and print.

With which artist are you dreaming (dreamed) to work (even dead artist)?

So many! I could dream of working with A. Rodchenko or being M. Huber’s apprentice… But luckily we have the Internet, so I could still learn from them and other great masters.

If you have to choose one book or magazine?

That would be a challenge. I would probably go with an antology of classical literature (thought I am not sure it’s one book), which I doubt I would read otherwise. Crossing fingers, I won’t have to make this choice!

Is music important for you, especially in your work process? what are you listening now?

It is important, and my taste in music is rather eclectic: from jazz and classical music to Russian accoustic and Latin rythms. However, when I work, I don’t normally listen to music. I prefer to concentrate on what I do, and if it’s something repetitive/monotonous I am working on, I normally listen to lectures/business podcasts.

The website you’re visiting every day?

It’s difficult to say, because I use a variety of sources to stay informed on a daily basis. But I am a pretty consistent reader of AIGA’s website (The American Institute of Graphic Arts).

If you have to leave for one month in a desert place, what are the 3 « things » you will bring with you?

My husband – and he would decide on the other two haha

A funny story to tell?

If you think there is no graceful way to go down on a motorcycle you are mistaken. It happened in Belarus when my husband and I were staying with my family in the countyside. My relative used to have a bike (may be still does) that he got as a trade-in for an e-cigarette from his neighbour – an old Soviet beauty Izh Planeta 5… After a few attemps to start it, the bike gave in and we were on the country road, heading to a farm nearby. To cut it short, we fell going around 5mph while I was waving at the cows… The entire village was watching this epic fall!

Website?

Website: www.tintabybulka.com
Instagram: @tintabybulka

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