What is the phenomenon of the Kharkiv art studio Aza Nizi Maza?
2018
Aza Nizi Maza is an art studio that is famous for its non-standard approach to teaching children. A unique art school has been operating in Kharkiv since 2002. It was founded by Mykola and Mariia Kolomiiets.
The studio completely changes the perception of what “children’s creativity” is, blurring the lines between the topics that children can be told about and those that cannot be told. The members of the studio shared their experience with Uzhhorod within the framework of the “Slobodakult” project, which took place a few months ago.
What is the phenomenon of the Kharkiv Aza Nizi Maza? We spoke to the founder of the art studio Mykola Kolomiiets and found 10 rules which make the education in this school unique:
Individual approach to each child. A child should not be afraid of a teacher and there should be a "zone of full frankness" in the art studio. Otherwise, a child will feel the boundary between younger and older one, which complicates the process of creativity.
To reveal the skills of a child through the immersion in his rich inner world, but not through the imposition of academic cliches of the teachers of classical educational institutions. If a child draws something and teacher compliments him at school, then tomorrow everyone will paint like that. This is what Aza Nizi Maza struggles with.
A child himself chooses what and how to draw. Different approaches to solving tasks. Children do not act on the instructions of the mentor, but offer options themselves. Therefore, “black does not look black” and “white is not white”.
Works are born during the process itself. Children do not plan any picture. They just paint. The subject of a painting is born during the process.
Constant experiments and innovative ideas from children. Example: “What will happen if I use gouache on oil?” “Or what happens if I add coke to oil?” Can I put salt in the painting?
To compliment, but not to criticize. The studio is focused on it, so children are not afraid to create. Act on the principle: “One should not be afraid of mistakes, sometimes they are more talented than the artist himself.”
Children read and watch works by the well-known Ukrainian and world masters. For example, if you want to draw a tree, you can see how the Dutch painter Jerome Bosch painted it.
A young artist writes a poem for each work – in the form of comments to the painting. This approach gives the opportunity to develop fantasy and creative thinking.
A lesson lasts 1.5 – 2 hours. Then children drink tea and discuss the results of the work. By the way, nobody restricts children in time – they paint as long as they want.
The art studio prepares multi-artists. For them to think abstractly and even conceptually. As a result, in addition to painting, they will know sculpture, graphics, etc.
Also interesting:
Why is the studio called Aza Nizi Maza? It is from a cult film by Federico Fellini “8 ½”. According to it, film director Guido Anselmi (performed by Marcello Mastroianni), who is in deep crisis, recalls when a child he shouted the spell “Aza Nizi Maza” and thus found an imaginary treasure.
Previously, Aza Nizi Maza was an art centre. And now it has become a gallery as well. In general, Aza Nizi Maza has global plans. “We want to create an educational institution where we will teach the history of arts, history of culture, cinema, comics, etc.,” Mykola Kolomiiets said. “We want to create an educational institution where one can experiment a lot, where students can get a complicated but living picture of what happens in the visual culture.”
Instead of the conclusion.
Mykola Kolomiiets: “We strive to change the stereotype of perception so that people stopped dividing art into “adult” and “children’s” and painting of children to be interesting not only for mothers and children psychologists but for everyone.”
Text: Denys Fazekash
Photo from the exhibition “Mom, turn on the Light”!: Nataliia Pavlyk
© Art & Culture Foundation Brovdi Art