One of the aims of our project is to create a community of creative girls from Barcelona. Today I would like to introduce you to the talented Olya from Belarus, who has been living here for 6 years. She is a fibre artist: she creates works with thread and rope, decorates spaces and gives workshops on macramé. Read her interview below! On the 4th of July 2020, Amor Barcelona will hold a warm summer workshop on macramé with Olya. Details and recording on Instagam: @amor_barcelona
Olya, tell me, how did you end up in Barcelona?
I am from Belarus. I have lived here for almost 6 years. My husband and I studied at BNTU, Faculty of Architecture in Minsk. After the 4th year in 2012, we transferred to the University of Vilnius and 2 years later we received our Bachelor's degree in Lithuania. Why did you move? I wanted something new! And after Vilnius we got a taste for it and wanted to live and study somewhere else, so we started looking for a Master's programme in Europe.
We had already been to Barcelona as tourists. And I was very impressed with the city. The creative atmosphere, the museums, the artists, the spirit of freedom. Everything we lack in post-Soviet countries. Even the fact that people sit on the floor was unusual at first. When we left Minsk in 2012, there was no Zybitskaya, no cool cafes, no cosy bookshops. But Vilnius was already full of these things when we were studying there, and Barcelona beat us to it.
So it was that we chose the city first - Barcelona - and then we started looking for a university there. In 2014, we arrived with a student visa to study for a Master's degree at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura de Barcelona - UPC. After a year of studying, we stayed here and my husband found a job in his field.
When did your passion for macramé begin?
I have always had many interests, I saw myself as a psychologist, a designer, a translator... I was interested in studying architecture, but it is a very difficult profession with very little manual work. I spend 90% of my time in front of a computer. When I left Belarus, I found myself in a kind of vacuum, where there were no other people's expectations and goals, just me and my thoughts. Back in Vilnius, I began to realise that architecture was not exactly what I wanted to do with my life. By the time I moved to Barcelona, I had spent a couple of years looking at handmade crafts and collecting inspiration on Pinterest. I realised that I wanted to create something with my hands.
I vividly remember the day I came across a woman from Portugal online who was working with macramé techniques. Her work was airy, light and comfortable. I was so inspired that I jumped up from the sofa and dragged my husband to the nearest hardware store. We bought a simple clothesline. I didn't know much about materials at the time, but I had to try! That's how I got my first workpiece.
How did you learn to weave?
I just went on the internet and found knotting diagrams, old magazines and books from the 70s - at that time there was a boom in macramé, henna and crafts in general all over the world. By the way, we have a very rich textile heritage here in Catalonia! I found out about it a little later, but getting to know the work of such world-famous masters as Aurèlia Muñoz, Josep Grau-Garriga, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies had an incredible impact on my development as an artist.
How did a hobby become a profession?
After finishing my Master's degree in Barcelona, I just decided to give it a go. I had nothing to lose. I set up an etsy account, took photos of my work, set prices and decided to see what would happen. To my surprise, it did! I gave away the first few pieces for free, as I had no idea how much anything cost, and almost the entire amount went straight to paying for shipping and packaging. It was 2015. There was little competition and lots of orders. So gradually the hobby grew into something more. I started searching for my style, holding workshops and developing individual designs for different spaces.
What meaning do you put into your art?
I started with classic knots and patterns. The work was boho, openwork, with lots of small details and patterns. I just enjoyed working with my hands without putting any deep meaning into it.
Later I found something of my own in all this. I was fascinated by minimalism, monochrome, monotony. Now I use virtually 1 knot, and I don't use any patterns at all. I prefer sculptural work to flatwork. By repeating the same knot thousands of times, I create a sort of canvas, which I then cut, twist into fanciful shapes. This is how 'soft sculpture' is born.
Sculpture in the usual sense is something cold, hard, permanent. My three-dimensional works are made of thread, so they are vulnerable, flexible, impermanent, sensitive. All these qualities are inherent in us, humans. My creativity is alive and warm. And, of course, I put my emotions, my thoughts and experiences into each piece. I often think that the forms I end up with are about life in general. First there is a canvas, and then it twists completely unpredictably. And so it is with us: we plan one thing, but something else (but no less cool!) comes out.
Is your creativity therapeutic?
Absolutely! Yes, it is! It is very calming for me. Working with soft natural materials (threads and ropes) with my hands, the monotony of the process brings me into a state of peace and balance. I am not only creating work, but also promoting my business, so I can spend a week just working on sales and marketing. And I am very happy when I get back to the craft.
Who would be interested in macramé?
We live in an age of technology. We are surrounded by black mirrors. Soulfulness is sorely lacking. That's why another wave came in response. Today we are experiencing a boom in creativity and expression. And it's cool! People want to do something with their own hands (especially those who sit in front of a computer in an office 24 hours a day), to try something new, to feel connected to themselves again, like in childhood. Any creativity will do you good!
Macramé is ideal as a quiet, meditative practice. Knots do not tolerate haste. But anyone can learn the basics! Often people come to my workshops who do not believe they are capable of making something with their own hands, especially something they would not be ashamed to hang in their home or give to a friend. What a surprise when they succeed! It just takes practice and a bit of patience.
What other types of creative work are you interested in?
Art therapy is very close to my heart. It combines my interests: psychology, creativity and much more. There are no mistakes in art therapy. It's how you feel, it's the right thing to do. There are no laws. It's about intuition, feelings, inner peace, the freedom to express yourself. In fact, my workshops may be the beginning of something bigger. I often think about a creative studio for children and adults.
How have you adjusted to Barcelona?
In 6 years I have experienced different things here: periods of euphoria and boundless happiness, as well as dark times. We didn't run away from Belarus, we didn't burn bridges like many people did. I felt good there! My parents, friends and acquaintances stayed in Minsk. So when things didn't work out in Barcelona, I remembered Minsk and thought: "Is it worth it? Wouldn't it be easier there, in the city where I was born and grew up, where I knew a lot of people and had connections? Now I see that it was an illusion, I just wanted to escape from my problems. It's not about the city, it's just that in Barcelona I first felt the responsibility, the need to earn and provide for myself, here I faced reality. And it was not easy.
Barcelona showed me my weaknesses as well as my strengths. I think it was only last year that I stopped fidgeting and started to understand why and how I was here. I came out of the crisis convinced that all I had to do was listen to myself. It sounds cliché, but it's true. Finding yourself, your place, your desires and your favourite business - that is what is important and worth all the effort in the end!
Has the city changed since you first came here?
I have seen Barcelona in many different ways. It is different each time, depending on the stage of our lives. I lived here as a tourist, as a student, now I work here, build relationships with people, go on holiday, just breathe and live. Yes, I don't fully realise that this is my city, that I am here forever. Sometimes I'm surprised by the thought: "I live in Barcelona"! I'm just happy here for now. And then we'll see...
