article In conversation with Valerie Kuzina, winner of The Pump House Residency 2024
In conversation with Valerie Kuzina, winner of The Pump House Residency 2024
After a competitive selection process,
Valerie Kuzina was awarded this year's
residency at The Pump House Art Studio.
Valerie Kuzina was awarded this year's
residency at The Pump House Art Studio.
After a competitive selection process,
Valerie Kuzina was awarded this year's
residency at The Pump House Art Studio.
Open exclusively to artists in our network, The Pump House Residency residency offers a one-week stay in Misterton at The Pump House Art Studio, a fully equipped studio complete with a Victorian print press. It is owned and run by Nicholas Pryke and Claire Elliott, who, with backgrounds in the creative industries, are passionate about art and giving back to upcoming artists.
Last year, we launched the inaugural residency, which was awarded to Charlotte Aiken.
Following an open call and a competitive selection process the residency's second edition was awarded to Valerie Kuzina. A London-based artist and arts educator, Valerie came to The Pump House to push her creative boundaries and experiment with new techniques. We spoke with her to learn more about her practice and her experiences throughout the week-long residency.
Last year, we launched the inaugural residency, which was awarded to Charlotte Aiken.
Following an open call and a competitive selection process the residency's second edition was awarded to Valerie Kuzina. A London-based artist and arts educator, Valerie came to The Pump House to push her creative boundaries and experiment with new techniques. We spoke with her to learn more about her practice and her experiences throughout the week-long residency.
Artiq What does a day during your residency look like for you?
Valerie Waking up at the Pump House was wonderful, with only a kingfisher and grey heron for company at breakfast. Each day, I’d take my materials for a long walk, looking for new motifs for my drawings. Afternoons often included lunch in the garden, admiring autumn trees. Late afternoons and evenings were spent in the studio, working on linocuts, drawing with pastels, or planning new works. At night, I’d watch the moon and listen to owls—a peaceful, inspiring week!
Artiq Your delicate pencil practice is characteristic of your current work. How did the residency help you to push your creative boundaries, such as experimenting with new techniques?
Valerie At the residency, I stepped beyond my usual coloured pencils and oil pastels, experimenting with soft pastels—a dusty medium that needed more space and light. The Pump House provided the perfect setting for this exploration. I also had the chance to learn lino cutting on a beautiful Victorian press, with Nic and Claire teaching me to make two-coloured prints. The process required careful planning and focus, which made it both calming and exciting, adding a fresh dimension to my creative practice.
Valerie Waking up at the Pump House was wonderful, with only a kingfisher and grey heron for company at breakfast. Each day, I’d take my materials for a long walk, looking for new motifs for my drawings. Afternoons often included lunch in the garden, admiring autumn trees. Late afternoons and evenings were spent in the studio, working on linocuts, drawing with pastels, or planning new works. At night, I’d watch the moon and listen to owls—a peaceful, inspiring week!
Artiq Your delicate pencil practice is characteristic of your current work. How did the residency help you to push your creative boundaries, such as experimenting with new techniques?
Valerie At the residency, I stepped beyond my usual coloured pencils and oil pastels, experimenting with soft pastels—a dusty medium that needed more space and light. The Pump House provided the perfect setting for this exploration. I also had the chance to learn lino cutting on a beautiful Victorian press, with Nic and Claire teaching me to make two-coloured prints. The process required careful planning and focus, which made it both calming and exciting, adding a fresh dimension to my creative practice.
Artiq How do you select colours for your work? Does your education in colour theory influence these decisions, or do the choices reflect your emotional state?
Valerie I select colours from the objects and scenes in real life. My art education and years of practice help me notice fascinating colour combinations around me. I modify them to make the colours brighter, stronger, or more gentle, depending on the mood I want to convey. For example, in a piece I created during the residency, I used the contrast of red and green inspired by the Pump House—its bricks stand out against the bright colour of the wet autumn grass. I drew on this contrast and made it work in my drawing, using my knowledge and experience.
Artiq How does the sketchbook function as a tool for your creative practice?
Valerie My sketchbooks are essential tools in my creative practice. I currently have two: a small square one with thin pages and an A4 sketchbook with thicker paper for oil pastels. I always take at least one with me, whether I’m walking in the park, at a gig, or commuting. It’s important because inspiration can strike at any moment. I make quick sketches of people and places almost every day, and I later develop some of these sketches into larger pieces, using them as the main inspiration for my work.
Valerie I select colours from the objects and scenes in real life. My art education and years of practice help me notice fascinating colour combinations around me. I modify them to make the colours brighter, stronger, or more gentle, depending on the mood I want to convey. For example, in a piece I created during the residency, I used the contrast of red and green inspired by the Pump House—its bricks stand out against the bright colour of the wet autumn grass. I drew on this contrast and made it work in my drawing, using my knowledge and experience.
Artiq How does the sketchbook function as a tool for your creative practice?
Valerie My sketchbooks are essential tools in my creative practice. I currently have two: a small square one with thin pages and an A4 sketchbook with thicker paper for oil pastels. I always take at least one with me, whether I’m walking in the park, at a gig, or commuting. It’s important because inspiration can strike at any moment. I make quick sketches of people and places almost every day, and I later develop some of these sketches into larger pieces, using them as the main inspiration for my work.
Artiq Has there been anything particularly inspiring you from your time at The Pump House?
Valerie While driving me from the train station, Nic and Claire talked about the area’s flat reclaimed land, allowing for great skies and far horizons. I felt an urge to explore it myself, and I was captivated by the endless perspective of the fields! The patterns of the crops found their way into my sketchbook because I just couldn’t stop going back to look and make sketches. And the Pump House itself, with its huge, beautiful windows and red bricks against the steel sky and bright grass, was a huge inspiration every day during my residency—and it still is!
Valerie While driving me from the train station, Nic and Claire talked about the area’s flat reclaimed land, allowing for great skies and far horizons. I felt an urge to explore it myself, and I was captivated by the endless perspective of the fields! The patterns of the crops found their way into my sketchbook because I just couldn’t stop going back to look and make sketches. And the Pump House itself, with its huge, beautiful windows and red bricks against the steel sky and bright grass, was a huge inspiration every day during my residency—and it still is!
