Interview with Regina Rzaeva
- Cista Arts team
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
An interview with Regina Rzaeva: visual artist
What initially sparked your interest in pursuing art, and how has your journey evolved since then?
After finishing art school, I spent many years teaching, until COVID hit. That period made me rethink a lot about my life and my career, and I realized something I’d always known deep down: I wanted to be an artist. I started painting at home and quickly found that all my skills came back to me. It felt as though a visual language had already formed inside me, and I just had to follow it. Soon I was taking part in art fairs and group shows, and not long after, I held my first solo exhibition. Since then, I’ve been involved in numerous collaborations, met inspiring artists, and shown my work in galleries. Through it all, my commitment to my craft and my drive to develop as an artist have remained constant.
After finishing art school, I spent many years teaching, until COVID hit. That period made me rethink a lot about my life and my career, and I realized something I’d always known deep down: I wanted to be an artist.
Can you tell us about a specific piece of your artwork that holds particular significance to you, and what inspired its creation?
One work that’s particularly important to me is “Parrot Tulips” (2024). I created it that year, building on a piece I made in 2020. It was an intense and time-consuming painting, taking months to complete, but it became a key reference point for many of my later works. Every year I pay tribute to it in some form, making pieces that echo it, as a way to see how I’ve grown and changed as an artist.
How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and experimenting with new techniques or styles?
Change is central to my practice. It allows me to push my painting to new levels. Since I work exclusively in this medium, sometimes exploring new ideas means changing the scale of a piece, working on paper, switching subjects entirely, or moving towards abstraction. All of these variations are part of the same journey, guiding me toward future works.
What role do you believe art plays in society, and how do you envision your work contributing to the artistic dialogue?
Today, art can seem unnecessary to many people. The internet, social media, and endless distractions fill our time. But nothing can touch the human soul like art can. It allows us to feel, to reflect, and to find ourselves in the richness of the world. It creates a sense of connection, a feeling that someone truly understands you. For me, continuing the tradition of painting while bringing something new to it is crucial. I want my work to speak to those who approach painting with the same spirit of exploration.
For me, continuing the tradition of painting while bringing something new to it is crucial. I want my work to speak to those who approach painting with the same spirit of exploration.
Are there any upcoming projects or themes that you're excited to explore in your future artworks, and if so, what draws you to these ideas?
Right now, I’m working on my solo exhibition alongside several group projects. It’s going to be an intense year, and I want to make the most of where my practice is at this moment.
How do you hope your art will impact viewers, and what message or emotion do you aspire to convey through your creative expressions?
I’ve never wanted to control how people experience my work. My approach to painting is sensory, and I hope the viewer responds in kind. If a painting moves someone or evokes a feeling, then my work has succeeded. I focus on the process, on bringing my ideas to life. What happens beyond the canvas is out of my hands - and I like it that way.
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