Interview: Victoria Cassinova, Visual Artist

By Angela Tai

When did you realize art is the path for you? 

Well, I started drawing and making art at the age of two so I’ve always created stuff. I decided I wanted to pursue it as a career at around age 20. Keep in mind I didn’t go to art school so everything I learned came from my own practice of trying to draw everything as realistically as possible. I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in art after I was in an accident; it put things into perspective for me that life is too short. 

Did you have someone who encouraged you to become an artist? Whether it’s a mentor, teacher or someone who just really believed in your talent?

I had my parents who always supported me, but it was always my own driving force. I didn’t really have a mentor who helped me get to where I am today. For a second – after high school – I was really into fashion styling and I worked with models and fashion designers. I was passionate about it and incorporated my drawings into fashion. I’m also lucky to have parents who never said to me ,“maybe you should do something that isn’t so crazy.” They were always very encouraging. 

How would you define your personal style (of work) and how has your style evolved throughout the years? 

Right now, I would say it’s controlled chaos. I like things to not have such a tight structure; I like to draw realistic forms and add abstract art around it, mixing street vibe with a classical basis of painting. Neo-expressionism is a big inspiration. I also admire a lot of illustrators. I’m not exactly sure the genre of my personal style, but it’s something that I’ve grown with over time.

You’re truly a multimedia artist. Is there a medium you love most?

That’s so tough. I love oil painting. When I’m doing murals – I do everything acrylic based. I love pencils and getting all the gradients, you can do lots of focused work with pencils. Painting and drawing are two of my favorite mediums. 

Who are 3 of your favorite artists?

There’s one artist named Alex Kanevsky, he’s an incredible artist I follow and am inspired by. Sebas Velasco, a muralist, does incredible murals around the world. I love Jordan Casteel and Robin F. Williams. I love the way Mark Tennant and Nicolas Uribe paint. Nicolas Uribe has these amazing youtube videos I like to watch where he takes you through his whole process of a painting in a very special way.

The journey of creating a piece of artwork can be a long process with lots of research. What type of prep work do you do before jumping into your work?

I do a lot of research on the history and/or the topic surrounding it. For the Spike Lee poster, I had to do a lot of research on the black experience in Vietnam. I review articles & films, essentially anything where I can get inspiration. I don’t get inspiration from googling images and other people’s styles before I start a piece. I get inspiration from the creative process; I need to have a purpose behind something in order to begin the visual process. 

Most people who go into art don’t actually expect to make a living as an artist -it’s a scary thing. How have you, not only survived but thrived, in this (white-male dominated) industry?

Yeah, it’s been a rough ride. I’m still on that ride. I went through many stages where my parents had to help me pay rent or I didn’t have enough money to buy groceries. Believing in yourself and staying focused on a goal is important; I still push myself to do that and focus on that dream. No one is going to force you to keep going. You really just have to be strong and trust in possibility. It’s a constant battle but I’m grateful for where I am. 

Another part of being an artist, that people don’t discuss, is you have to be very business savvy. What actions do you take to make sure you’re able to continue to stay busy with the commissioned work? 

Right now, I’m in a place where I get a lot of things that usually come to me or people will present projects to me. I became friends with people who gave me opportunities to do things. I also think having a focused mindset is very important; the universe finds a way to align you with your true intentions. I still hold my value – if I get offers to do things for free or something below my value – I typically say no. They usually come back and offer to pay my rate so that’s something that I’ve really learned over the past year. Staying true to my value, rates, and staying consistent with that.

Based on your Instagram, you’re not only an artist but also a vocal activist. You met inspirational thought leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Stacey Abrams, Common and Angela Davis. What do you want your audience to experience when they see your work?

My main thing is that I want to inspire people or use art as a tool to contribute to something bigger than myself, or for a greater cause. Art is incredibly powerful and we can use it to amplify any given message. I hope that people become more interested in what I’m talking about as far as pushing the initiative to get people to vote and trying to get other people to understand the importance of the census. I want to use art as a compliment to the greater picture and I hope people find significance through that bigger picture. 

I love the informative animation piece you did with Stacey Abrams. Are you planning on doing more political and social relevant work as you progress in your career?

I would love to! I’ll never do something that I don’t genuinely believe in and support. My dream is to be in museums someday or be a part of more gallery shows internationally.

How have you had to compromise when you collaborated with other artists? 

I haven’t collaborated directly with another artist but I would love to. I have collaborated with an exhibition called ‘We Rise’ which was centered around mental health. I haven’t had to compromise my style in a visual sense yet, but I’m open to the challenge in hopes of growing as an artist. I’m a collaborative person and love working with other people. Ultimately, I find ways to align with a new part of myself in everything I do. I’m sure I’d do the same if I created something alongside another artist.

As a young working artist, what gives you hope about the future? 

I can’t control the world and I never know where the world’s going so I daydream a lot. I’m really glad to have the Black Lives Matter movement happening in the way that it is. As a black woman trying to find my way in the art world, it might be a different obstacle although I’m optimistic that things can shift. I have faith in change.

What are some exercises you do when you don’t feel hopeful or when you’re having a bad day? 

On a personal level, I do a lot of meditation which helps to clear my mind. Creatively, if I’m stuck, I have to remove myself from the task that I have to do and I’ll randomly start drawing. Oftentimes, I have to take yourself away from a task or project and become an observer instead. I like to write down everything that I hear, maybe it’s lyrics from a song or something someone is saying at a restaurant. I always take pictures of random things. Look at your outside world and observe what’s around you.

What are your goals for the future? 

I want to create more of my personal artwork and continue growing as a painter/artist. I’ve been in lots of group exhibitions but one of my dreams is to someday have a solo show. I have this monster character that I create and I want to expand on that with my paintings. I’ve gotten to a decent point visually but I want to continue getting better. Conceptually, I want to dive deeper into my own life to figure out how I can present new ideas through my personal work.