|
Posted on March 15, 2005 He's passionate, he's versatile and he's reflective. He is Vadim Bora By Linda
Conley | Staff Writer Vadim Bora can still taste the wood that he used to bite off his pencils as a youngster, so the lead point would stay sharp enough for him to draw and sketch for hours. There was never any question that he would become an artist. He was born in Beslan, Republic of North Ossetia, Russia. He remembers drawing in the sand, on the walls or wherever else he felt so moved to do so. Now at age 50, he is an accomplished artist. Some of his work is included in collections at the Ministry of Culture Collection in Moscow and The Financial Times office in London. His outdoor cat sculpture is one of numerous pieces of art along a walking trail tour in Asheville, N.C. Other pieces of his work are in private collections of celebrities such as actress Andie MacDowell and in the office of former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole. Bora moved
to Asheville more than a decade ago. Some of his work is on display this
month through April 17 in the Milliken Gallery at the
Spartanburg County Museum of Art. The show is titled "American
Retrospective: Sculptures, Paintings, Drawings." "Your thoughts and ideas are based on your childhood, education and culture," he said. "Love, life and death are all things that make an imprint on your ideas." His homeland, the Republic of North Ossetia, located in Russia's Caucasus Mountains between the Black and Caspian seas, is known for its cultural atmosphere. The area has numerous museums, cultural clubs and theaters. But Beslan became known last September as the place where more than 320 hostages were killed in a school siege. Half of those killed were children. Bora returned recently from a trip to his homeland and was saddened by the tragedy. "The cemeteries are covered," he said. "It is a mixture of sadness and depression, but I don't want people to get the idea that the area is just filled with terrorism." Bora said
the area is one of the oldest spots of civilization in the world. He said
his homeland has a great deal of culture and history, and he is trying
to reflect that in his new homeland. His gallery recently completed an exhibition for local artists and held another showing of artwork by some students from Bosnia. Art fills most of Bora's life. When he isn't painting, sculpting or drawing, he is teaching art classes or working on commissioned pieces or in the gallery. The roomy studio looks like a work in progress. Numerous paintings and sculptures are scattered across the room. All of the pieces are in various stages. Some are complete and some are not complete. "Some of my pieces are cycles that continue over several paintings," Bora said. "The work isn't complete just because I finished one painting." Constance Richards, one of Bora's friends in Asheville, said his studio reminds her of the art shops she visited during a trip to Bora's homeland. "He (Bora) is a talented artist," she said. "He also is giving other artists of this area a chance by showing their artwork. The gallery isn't just for his work." Scott Cunningham, exhibits coordinator at the Spartanburg County Museum of Art, said the showing of Vadim's work is one of the ways the museum is reaching out to other cultures in the community. Cunningham also likes the showing of Vadim's work, he says, because it demonstrates the versatility of an artist. "When you do something commercially, an artist is limited to doing just one thing and that is a necessity sometimes to get paid," Cunningham said. "But this showing gives visitors a chance to see a variety of things that an artist can do. It shows the diversity in the fine arts." Linda Conley
can be |