A Poet Who Can Sew

In this interview, we ventured into the fascinating realm of Venera Kazarova, a visionary poet and costume designer whose work defies conventional boundaries. Venera's creations are not merely garments but rather intricate artworks that blur the lines between the tangible and the surreal. Her designs seamlessly integrate elements of psychology, emotion, and fantasy, resulting in pieces that appear to have materialized from the depths of a vivid dream.

Starting with a formal education in costume design, Venera initially focused on crafting garments intended for everyday wear. However, as she delved deeper into her craft, she discovered that her designs began to resonate on a much more profound level. For Venera, her creations transcend the realm of clothing; they serve as powerful mediums through which she conveys complex emotions and rich narratives. Her work challenges the conventional expectations of fashion, pushing the boundaries to explore how attire can encapsulate and communicate abstract concepts and personal experiences in a way that is both unique and evocative.

We The Cool:  Tell us about you. Who is Venera Kazarova?

Venera: Venera Kazarova is a poet who can sew.

WTC: How did you get into custom design?

V: Initially I’m a costume designer and received formal education in this field, so I was supposed to create clothes for wearing, but somehow I just started feeling that all my designes are more then clothes for me, they have they mood, they are able to feel & more of this, they are speaking with me telling me something I feel responsable to convey. So my way started with experimenting with materials and shape and then completely went beyond the costume itself.

WTC: You often blend elements of psychology, mood, and messaging into your costumes. How do you approach the process of transforming these abstract concepts into tangible designs?

V: Almost all the emotions I experience, I am able to see. Fear, excitement, sadness, passion—everything visualizes in my mind, everything turns into an image. I actually bring to life what I have seen. And it always revolves around clothes that are trying their best to pretend to be normal. No matter what happens to the dress, it always keeps its buttons or collar.

WTC: From your perspective, how do costumes function as an artistic medium in performances? What do you hope they convey beyond their visual impact?

V: The costumes become an artistic medium by coming to life. They are the performers; this is their performance. What I always want to convey is my perception of the world, where I feel like an outsider and can't get used to it, even though I haven't been a child for a long time. The three things that impress me the most are beauty, violence, and absurdity, and all my works, in one way or another, are always about these.

WTC: The “Kitchen Poetry” project uses kitchen elements to challenge traditional notions of femininity. How did you decide on this specific blend of everyday life and high fashion? What message were you aiming to convey with this juxtaposition?

V: This performance is about feminism and how a woman can be so consumed by household chores that she becomes an object, a part of this everyday life. In many cultures, a woman is simply seen as a function, devoid of emotions, without the right to have her own opinion. This performance is about exactly that; it's about the transformation of something living into something lifeless.

WTC: Your work often merges elements of reality with fantasy. How do you find a balance between these two worlds in your designs, and what do you hope this fusion achieves in your performances?

V: The balance is about speaking of real things, using a fantasy language. No matter how fairy my works may seem, they always speak of reality.

WTC: How do you develop different characters and how do you design their interactions among each other in your performances? For example in Midsummer Night’s Dream, what elements from The Decameron did you choose to highlight in the dynamics of your performers and why?

V: I always work with the most familiar element that can represent the character, so that the image is specific. In the “Midsummer Night’s Dream” I wanted to represent Shakespeare’s era, so I took a wig & big collars. Having exaggerated them to the limit,I rotated these forms around the body.

WTC: What have been some of the biggest challenges in your art?

V: The biggest challenge for me is to give up the unnecessary & come to the brevity. Too many ideas & it seems I can’t always assess what is really important & what is not.

WTC: Our current editorial issue is about perception and how it plays a role in our daily decisions and conceptions. When you think about the word “perception” what comes to mind?

V: When I think about this word, the earth that absorbs water comes to mind.

WTC: What is beauty to you?

V: Beauty is something that fills me, as if it pours inside through my eyes, & it makes something inside to move. It’s an absolutely physical sensation.

WTC: What upcoming projects are you excited about? Are there new themes or ideas you're looking to explore in your future work?

V: I changed my country of residence about 2 years ago, I moved from Russia to Germany & I’m interested in gradually delving into the local context & working with it. I can’t say anything about upcoming projects yet, because at the moment there is nothing specific to share. But I found like-minded people here & we’re working on continuing to do performances.