Inna Grishechkina
ARTIST STATEMENT
My method of work is to be an artist as sincerely as possible. Usually I talk about personal experience, but I touch themes that are common for many people. The experience of motherhood has had a strong influence on my artistic practice - I have been a mother for ten years now and have three children. And all this time I have been actively engaged in art. That is why my main theme is the work of a woman as an artist, and an artist as a mother. I also often turn to the theme of childhood, because these two themes are closely connected. I think childhood is a special time that had strong influence on the artist's worldview. My childhood memories are very important for my work.
One of the main components of my art is time. Quite often I take on the creation of labor-intensive works that emphasize process, or works that can be used to measure specific periods of time.
Another component of my art is special attention to ornamental and other repetitive structures. I like their expressive qualities. With their help I can show repetition, rhythm (as well as their distruction), monotony, the passage of time or a certain process.
Also I am interested in the theme of error or dysfunction.
I think a lot about why I want to be an artist. These thoughts also become a part of my art. In some of them I include my poems and diary entries.
The materials I use are often borrowed from traditional women's practices such as sewing, embroidery, baking, home scrapbooking, etc. This allows me to combine two my identities as an artist and as a mother.
The main mediums in which I work are graphics, embroidery, textile sculptures, objects.
One of the main components of my art is time. Quite often I take on the creation of labor-intensive works that emphasize process, or works that can be used to measure specific periods of time.
Another component of my art is special attention to ornamental and other repetitive structures. I like their expressive qualities. With their help I can show repetition, rhythm (as well as their distruction), monotony, the passage of time or a certain process.
Also I am interested in the theme of error or dysfunction.
I think a lot about why I want to be an artist. These thoughts also become a part of my art. In some of them I include my poems and diary entries.
The materials I use are often borrowed from traditional women's practices such as sewing, embroidery, baking, home scrapbooking, etc. This allows me to combine two my identities as an artist and as a mother.
The main mediums in which I work are graphics, embroidery, textile sculptures, objects.
CV
Selected exhibitions:
"From and to: fairy tales for growth", New wing of the Gogol House, curator Elmira Minkina, Moscow, Russia, 2023
"Mom's Room", artist-run space "Q15", curator Alexandra Kovalchuk, Bali, Indonesia, 2023
"260620-171222", "Neuer Anhang", curator Arseny Zhilyaev, Berlin, Germany, 2023
"Flicker. Dot. Signals", Art Center "Pushkinskaya-10", curator Evgenia Tarasova, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2022
"Winzavod. Open", "Habitat", Winzavod, curatorial group "Hidden Garden", Moscow, Russia, 2021
"Grounding", gallery "Sreda" (space "Cube. Moscow"), curator Svetlana Shilankova, Moscow, Russia, 2021
"Behind the Scenes", Center for Contemporary Culture "Fligel", curator Alena Raikher, Vladimir, Russia, 2021
"Everyday Episodes", independent curatorial project "Hidden Garden" (Anastasia Senozatskaya, Kristina Syrchikova, Ksenia Kasko), Samara, Russia, 2021
"Under reality the beach", VR gallery of the Higher School "Sreda Obuchenia", curators Arseny Zhilyaev and Ekaterina Guseva, 2021 (https://art.sredaobuchenia.ru/vr-beach).
Education:
Course-workshop of the artist Arseny Zhilyaev, 2018-2020
Faculty of Contemporary Art of the Higher School "Learning Environment", 2018-2020
Summer art residence "Magma of Secrets" by artist Ivan Gorshkov, 2019
Faculty of Art and Graphics of Smolensk State University, specialty graphic design, 2002-2008
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"From and to: fairy tales for growth", New wing of the Gogol House, curator Elmira Minkina, Moscow, Russia, 2023
"Mom's Room", artist-run space "Q15", curator Alexandra Kovalchuk, Bali, Indonesia, 2023
"260620-171222", "Neuer Anhang", curator Arseny Zhilyaev, Berlin, Germany, 2023
"Flicker. Dot. Signals", Art Center "Pushkinskaya-10", curator Evgenia Tarasova, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2022
"Winzavod. Open", "Habitat", Winzavod, curatorial group "Hidden Garden", Moscow, Russia, 2021
"Grounding", gallery "Sreda" (space "Cube. Moscow"), curator Svetlana Shilankova, Moscow, Russia, 2021
"Behind the Scenes", Center for Contemporary Culture "Fligel", curator Alena Raikher, Vladimir, Russia, 2021
"Everyday Episodes", independent curatorial project "Hidden Garden" (Anastasia Senozatskaya, Kristina Syrchikova, Ksenia Kasko), Samara, Russia, 2021
"Under reality the beach", VR gallery of the Higher School "Sreda Obuchenia", curators Arseny Zhilyaev and Ekaterina Guseva, 2021 (https://art.sredaobuchenia.ru/vr-beach).
Education:
Course-workshop of the artist Arseny Zhilyaev, 2018-2020
Faculty of Contemporary Art of the Higher School "Learning Environment", 2018-2020
Summer art residence "Magma of Secrets" by artist Ivan Gorshkov, 2019
Faculty of Art and Graphics of Smolensk State University, specialty graphic design, 2002-2008
⤓ Download portfolio
BIO
Inna Grishechkina was born in Dorogobuzh, Smolensk region, Russia, in 1985. She graduated from Smolensk State University, department of Art. In 2011 she moved to St.Petersburg to study evening drawing courses at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 2020 she graduated from the faculty of Contemporary Art in the «Sreda Obuchenia» (Moscow), workshop by Arseny Zhilyaev. Until 2022 she was a resident of the artist-run space «Gallery 22» (Moscow). Since 2021 she has been a resident of the «Textura» gallery (Moscow). Since 2022 she has been living and working on Bali, Indonesia.
PROJECTS
EXHIBITIONS
AFTERWORD
A few pieces from my notebookes:
"I hate giving names to my artworks: sometimes names come by themselves, but this happens rarely. If I suffer for a long time trying to create them, they turn to be fake or too much ordinary. In general, I have never learnt this."
"How do I make my art? I can say that I am experimenting, playing. Some idea comes to my mind - what will happen if I put the puzzles together in the wrong order? What if I change the colors in embroidery kits? What happens if I cover objects with dough and bake them? - and I do it just to see what it will look like. Sometimes I can see an image of artwork in my mind and try to bring it to life, remaking it many times until it looks similar."
"What are my works about? I think a lot of them are about childhood. It seems to me that in general the nature of my art is very childish: I'm like a kid who collects beautiful rocks and shells, candy wrappers and pictures. That is why I collect my children's drawings and regret so much the lost works of my childhood. Some part of me remains a child being still little."
"If I don't make art, I feel like my day was wasted. Without this activity I lose my identity. So, I wonder if art is something that makes me myself."
"For a long time I could not embark on drawing patterns or start making embroidery because I knew how long and monotonous this work would be. According to logic, I could have started doing embroidery from the very beginning but I couldn't make myself do it for several years. I never embroidered before this, and if my artistic intention had not required it, I would never have started it. So I kept asking myself why I had to take on this work that no one but me needed. It didn't give me any relief when I saw a finished piece of art because I felt like it could be done in a better way."
"My notes are what I think about during my work. Why do I make them? Why do I find it important? Because my work and my thoughts are what I can share. If people look at my works and find them interesting, then why my thoughts could not be the same? What else can I tell? What do I know better? After all, it would be strange to repeat other people's thoughts, to work or illustrate other people's ideas. There is an opinion that an ordinary person could not be interesting ("no one cares what an artist thinks").
"Why, in this case, to make works at all? Why can they be interesting, but the artist's thoughts can't? What is the fundamental difference between artworks and thoughts if both are the product of the one's mind? If I don't express my thoughts, who will express them then? Is it worth expressing them at all? Then is it worth making art? I am an artist and people look at my works, including artists like me. Perhaps my thoughts will seem familiar to them. Most likely, similar thoughts also come to them. Well, sometimes I make poetry. Normally it takes me quite a long time to I create a piece of work and a lot of thoughts can come to my mind during this time and not all of them become texts for works. That is always the author's choice."
"I hate giving names to my artworks: sometimes names come by themselves, but this happens rarely. If I suffer for a long time trying to create them, they turn to be fake or too much ordinary. In general, I have never learnt this."
"How do I make my art? I can say that I am experimenting, playing. Some idea comes to my mind - what will happen if I put the puzzles together in the wrong order? What if I change the colors in embroidery kits? What happens if I cover objects with dough and bake them? - and I do it just to see what it will look like. Sometimes I can see an image of artwork in my mind and try to bring it to life, remaking it many times until it looks similar."
"What are my works about? I think a lot of them are about childhood. It seems to me that in general the nature of my art is very childish: I'm like a kid who collects beautiful rocks and shells, candy wrappers and pictures. That is why I collect my children's drawings and regret so much the lost works of my childhood. Some part of me remains a child being still little."
"If I don't make art, I feel like my day was wasted. Without this activity I lose my identity. So, I wonder if art is something that makes me myself."
"For a long time I could not embark on drawing patterns or start making embroidery because I knew how long and monotonous this work would be. According to logic, I could have started doing embroidery from the very beginning but I couldn't make myself do it for several years. I never embroidered before this, and if my artistic intention had not required it, I would never have started it. So I kept asking myself why I had to take on this work that no one but me needed. It didn't give me any relief when I saw a finished piece of art because I felt like it could be done in a better way."
"My notes are what I think about during my work. Why do I make them? Why do I find it important? Because my work and my thoughts are what I can share. If people look at my works and find them interesting, then why my thoughts could not be the same? What else can I tell? What do I know better? After all, it would be strange to repeat other people's thoughts, to work or illustrate other people's ideas. There is an opinion that an ordinary person could not be interesting ("no one cares what an artist thinks").
"Why, in this case, to make works at all? Why can they be interesting, but the artist's thoughts can't? What is the fundamental difference between artworks and thoughts if both are the product of the one's mind? If I don't express my thoughts, who will express them then? Is it worth expressing them at all? Then is it worth making art? I am an artist and people look at my works, including artists like me. Perhaps my thoughts will seem familiar to them. Most likely, similar thoughts also come to them. Well, sometimes I make poetry. Normally it takes me quite a long time to I create a piece of work and a lot of thoughts can come to my mind during this time and not all of them become texts for works. That is always the author's choice."
CONTACT
