A Moving Conversation with Valeria Ganzman

Valeria Ganzman is a multidisciplinary artist based in Israel. Valeria's work has been exhibited at The Holy Art, WIZO Academy of Design and Education, and published in various publications internationally. I got to ask Valeria about how creating art has taught her about the body and how society portrays it, what is the hardest thing about the creative process for her, and did she venture from photography to painting.

UZOMAH: How important was it for you to start exploring the body with art?

VALERIA:  I started to explore the body through art quite spontaneously while in art school. I decided to photograph my grandmother in lingerie for one of the assignments. My grandma, who until this day one of my greatest inspirations, agreed without hesitation. She was always free with her body and was never ashamed of it. My love for female body exploration started that day. I photographed and painted my grandma for a couple of years and with time I began to photograph, paint and explore my own body. I feel that every woman is occupied with her body in one way or the other. I’m no different, so it was very natural for me to explore my own body. Shortly after graduation, I got breast cancer. Despite how scary it was, this illness increased my fascination with the body. The sick and broken body became very interesting to me. After I recovered I continued to explore the body but from a different perspective. My occupation with the subject is critical for me in dealing with the trauma from the cancer. The more I engage in this topic the easier it gets to accept what happened to me and it becomes less scary.

U: What has your use of art and creating a body taught you about how society views the female body and the body in general?

V: I feel that society is not accepting enough of nudity in art. Often when I post works with nudity to Instagram it doesn’t go over well. I try to show the body as is, exposed and vulnerable. It is odd to me that it’s still frowned upon. I don’t think we should be ashamed of our bodies or hide it.

“Decomposition 2”

Your use of plants in your paintings gives life to them and adds to the story of the overall piece of art. What made you want to feature plants?

V: My love for botanical painting is fairly young. It was during my illness that my grandmother brought me some plants for my porch. I used to sit and stare at them, thinking about all the things I will create once I’m better. When I got better, dealing with my body was too hard and brought back difficult memories, so I focused on the botanical instead. Painting flowers and plants, in general, relaxes me and brings me serenity.

Do you still take photographs?

V: No. I haven’t done photography in a long time. I do miss it sometimes; film photography and the darkroom. I’m sure I’ll get back to it at some point.

“Decomposition”

Which do you prefer: painting or taking photos?

V: Painting. No doubt. It’s my first passion, ever since I was a little girl. I feel I can be a lot more free and express myself better through painting.

Why is art a great medium for documenting body image and representation?

V: Because in art everything is possible. You can show the body as you want and see it. It allows us to be real and vulnerable.

“Self portrait with plants”

How do you find your authentic self and that of your body when society sets such unrealistic standards?

V: I’ll admit, it’s not always easy. The society decided on the definitions - how to look, what’s beautiful and what’s not, what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s very hard to shake it off and be true to yourself. If you are different and don’t fit society’s definitions it’s very hard to love yourself. I always try to show in my works the body as it is, even if it’s not beautiful according to society.

How did having breast cancer arouse your curiosity?

V: Even before cancer, I tried to document the body in the most real and vulnerable way. Once I got sick I understood that there is something very interesting and beautiful in illness. The disease and the treatment made my body different, not what it used to be. It was weak, I felt broken. I was curious to explore this body. I tried to transform the illness, what is considered ugly and wrong, into something beautiful.

How did you venture from painting to photography?

V: Ever since I can remember myself I was painting but at some point I started to take an interest in photography as well. I did photography before I decided to go and study it. The transition was quite easy for me and even felt natural. I think the reason is that I knew I was not abandoning the painting but just taking a break. I always knew I would go.

What is the hardest thing about the creative process?

V: To me, the hardest part is the pressure I feel to successfully create exactly how I see it in my mind. I’m not always successful at that, and I’m often disappointed with the work. I’m very critical of myself. I also always strive to create something new and original, something that was never done before. But it feels like everything was already done, it can be very frustrating. In addition, for me, it’s very hard to display the works. To expose myself. I do a lot of very personal stuff and it can be very stressful. I feel very vulnerable when I post new work on Instagram. It took me many years until I decided to share my art.

Please visit Valeria’s website for more updates about her art. Also, please follow her on Instagram.