For this new issue of Letter from… column, we asked toonpool.com artist Otilia Bors about her life and begged for some photographs of her working place and the city she lives in. Otilia is working as an art director for a children’s book publishing house in Bucharest. She can always count on her best friends because they are there for her and they are never jealous because she can always mix them up. Oh, don’t get the wrong impression, we are talking about watercolors and pencils.
Happy to have the most expensive administrative building in the world ironically called People's House
Otilia in front of the People's House
1. What was your dream last night?
I dreamed I was a bird flying very high. There were no continents, no countries, no borders… just a big painting below.
2. Next plans or ideas?
My aim is to become one of the best female cartoonists. Also, I would like to plan my first personal exhibition of caricatural portraits where I hope to gather the best known world personalities of all times.
3. Your food today?
I very much enjoyed a Romanian traditional soup dish called “bors romanesc”
4. Do you like your place or would you like to live somewhere else?
No place on Earth is as beautiful as the one where you were born. Every place on Earth has its interesting things and we just have enjoy them.
Favourite restaurant also the oldest beerhouse in Bucharest, first opened in 1879
Dambovita River
5. What was the huge mistake in your life you (unfortunately) never made?
I don’t know which one to tell. There are so many big mistakes in one’s life: some of them we make and some of them we regret we never made.
6. Who are your neighbors?
Regular people that live in boxes (apartment houses), just like I do, and who haven’t lost their sense of humor.
7. Tell me the shortest joke you know
“What rules should Romanians adopt so they will perfectly fit into the Europeen Union
For that to happen, the European Union should adopt Romanian rules…”
8. Tell me the biggest prank you did on a friend.
One day, at a friends meeting, I would very much like to show up dressed up as Angela Merkel.
Otilia dreams to meet Angela Merkel in front of the People´s House
9. How to ruin your vacation?
Giving the times we live in, a massive general strike will ruin my vacation plans. Then I should spend an imaginary holiday in the middle of Bucharest, which could not turn as badly as it sounds as long as one can discover some interesting historical places here.
Another untidy artist´s desk
view out of Otilia´s window
final touch
10. In 1977 NASA has sent orbiters Voyager 1 and 2 into space which will never stop to fly through the universe by gravity. They contain the Voyager Golden Records with many testimonials of the whole mankind, greetings in 55 languages introduced by US president Jimmy Carter (“This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings….”). The Golden Records with a lifespan of 500 million years at least are including drawings of a naked man and woman, detailed genitalia, many scientific graphics, sounds of planet earth and music by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart – and Chuck Berry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3haYAbqKjA
Maybe aliens out there will be shocked in some million years! But in case such a NASA mission will be replayed: which (1) of your artworks should join it?
If the aliens were shocked by the first disk of humankind testimony, I will send my work named “The girl with the book”. This is one of the portraits from my ample project: “Gardens of people”. This series is a collection of indoor portraits, a sum of representations of the human essence. I am attracted by the intern movement of thoughts, ideas, beliefs that influence people’s attitudes and affective states.
Otilia's laboratory
Credits to Nicoleta Ionescu for talking with Otilia Bors
© toonpool.comTags: artist, bucharest, cartoons, Interview, letter from, Otilia Bors, toonpool.com
For that to happen, the European Union should adopt Romanian rules…”
This is good,really..and sounds even british…
It is true that the European Union pursues a certain hegemony specific values. . Many of these values seem dubious ,at least to me..
So I fully understand Otilia statement.
Bucharest seems very beautiful.
Congrats,interesting interview and artist.
Funny coincidence: Angela Merkel is in Bucharest these days
Wonderful – I am really enjoying this series! I love your work and work place Otilia.
Felicitari, Otilia , pentru interviu si pentru toate realizarile tale!
Ganduri de bine di…Romania!
Kidor (Iralia V.)
erata: din*
Multumesc frumos Kidor.
Sunt onorata cand primesc urari de la romanii mei.
bucharest seems to be a beautyful metropole!
i enjoy your works, dear oilia!
Thank you dear Elle62 for your apreciation.
Every place on Earth has its interesting things. Best wishes from Bucarest!