EVERYTHING THAT IS IMAGINABLE – IS POSSIBLE

OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity
Margarita Yagudaeva: I was born in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, grew up there before I went travelling around the world. Recently, I completed my PhD in Linguistics and am now a Doctor of Linguistics.
As for my creative side, I have been painting for many years, starting as an amateur in Uzbekistan. Having been living in the UK for about 9 years now, I began associating myself as an artist only a few years ago. I have had some group and solo exhibitions already and am finding the Eurasian Creative Guild as a great way of showcasing my work among other creatives.

OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space of your art?
MY: Arts and painting in particular, have always been fascinating for me. I met the vice-chairman of the ECG, Marat Akhmedjanov, back in 1999, when he was a publisher of the first fashion magazine in Uzbekistan, and I worked as a photo model for a bit. His entrepreneurship and the fact that he managed to create the Guild, Hertfordshire Press, and the OCA magazine here in the UK, helped me believe that everything is possible, despite being far away from your motherland. So, in this regard, Marat has been a role model for me.

As for the artists, I appreciate many, but Francis Bacon has affected me the most. His rather dark contemporary art, his difficulties, and persistence, have all been a great influence.

OCA: Which achievements of yours would you like to emphasize?
MY: I could have said that relocating to a different country, writing a thesis in another language, and managing to stay afloat, would be a big part of anyone’s achievement. Nevertheless, I have this dream of becoming a full time artist.

OCA: Do you have any personal projects that you would like to talk about?
MY: I do have some ideas that I have been nourishing for a while. One of the most adventurous ones would be creating an interactive exhibition, where I would like to touch upon such topics as mental health and inclusivity. An exhibition that would include performances from the audience to create an immersive experience for both, myself as an artist, and the audience as viewers.

I am aware that it would even require writing some music, as well as working on lights, space, and dimensions, let alone painting in its usual sense.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work?
MY: In addition to attending various meetings, I participated in the recent Film Festival held in Romford. Presented some of my paintings there, met new people, and watched some films.I think attending such events and taking part in them facilitates exchanging ideas with other creatives and helps you refresh your own views. Also, bringing creative people from all over the world and from different fields is always fruitful, so keep it up, Eurasian Creative Guild!

OCA: What is Eurasian Creative Guild for you and how do you see your future partnership?
MY: ECG for me is a perfect platform to showcase my art, to meet other creatives, and to learn more about the arts movement in my home country as well as in other countries in the region.

I would like to see us collaborating in the future on a regular basis..

And finally, being a member of the Guild brings back that feel of home I sometimes miss living far away from my motherland.

OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career?
MY: I’d say that being part of such a supportive community is a great environment for anyone who is just starting or has already been creating for a while. I wish the situation with Covid to change soon and the Guild be organising more events to promote our vision further to the world. By our vision I mean Central Asian, and it is the way I identify myself too.

Everything that is imaginable – is possible, and with such a bright head of the Guild and us all, I am confident, we will succeed and will unite more creatives to make the magic happen.