Venera Kazarova comes from the rare breed of artists that create worlds, not mere objects. A fashion designer, set designer, and artist, she uses a variety of techniques to create surrealist clothes and designs for theater and contemporary choreography. With a special love and skill for paper-cut objects used to decorate the space and photoshoots, she creates otherworldly yet intriguing visual realities.
Her work is inspired by dreams & fairy tales, the ones you feel unsure about but can’t forget. From revising Magritte’s idiosyncratic painting for Contributor Magazine to reproducing the ambiguous world of Alice in Wonderland for Elle Russia, Kazarova is breaking the boundaries between arts, the way all great creators do. Introducing our new “Talent” series, we caught up with her to discuss fashion, art, and anything in between.
How would you define yourself and your work? An artist or a fashion designer?
I can define myself as a fashion artist. In my work, I try to combine my love and passion for paper & fabric with the use of both materials as well as plastic utensils, polyethylene, and everything that comes to hand, especially vintage stuff.
In your work ‘Paper cut’ you were influenced by the work of Giorgio De Chirico. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from my dreams, nature, African masks & especially from Dada & surrealism.
What are the fashion designers that have influenced your work?
Definitely Rei Kawakubo and Paul Poiret.
What is that you find so interesting with masks?
Masks are all about anonymity and hiding your personality. It’s like you can reinvent yourself into something new.
Your work seems to draw influences from the world of dreams and the subconscious. What are the stories you are trying to tell?
I always talk about how the fragile survive in an aggressive environment and about what shocks me most – it is the combination of beauty, violence, and absurdity that make up the world.
You can find more of her work in her personal website and Instagram feed.
You can find more of Venera Kazarova’s work on her personal website and Instagram feed
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