Meet your USkJ friends : interview with Mariia Ermilova

今回インタビューさせていただくのはロシア出身のマリアさんです。マルチリンガルのマリアさんは、千葉大学に在学時に、USk Japanのイベントを大学と地域自治体とコラボレーションして、当時日本を訪れていたUSKのEducation boardの面々と共に４日間の日本初のUrban Sketchingのワークショップの企画、運営をされたスキルの持ち主で、またUSK Japanのアドミニストレーターの一人でもあります。

Q1,スケッチを始めたのはいつ？USk/USkJとの出会いは？
When did you start sketching? And how do you get involved in USk/USkJ community?




Since I remember myself in childhood, I liked to draw. So, when I was in junior high school I asked my parents to let me go to art school. I passed the exam and started to attend afterschool lessons in the evenings. I’ve spent there 4 years, and all the time we constantly draw “nature morte” in the classroom. There were many students, preparing for the exam to Architecture Academy. I liked the summer practice the most. We used to go out to our old city (it is celebrating 800 years date in 2021) and draw plein air: watercolor, pencil drawings and sketches. We brought the lunch boxes with us and spend the whole day wandering in the tattered neighborhoods. Sometimes we made discoveries, like that someone is keeping chickens in the middle of the city. I remember, how happy we were, feeding the chickens with our sandwiches…

I guess since that time (2003-2007) I picked up the habit to draw outdoors. I started to draw plants and insects in my garden, do sketches in summer camps and expeditions. Then in 2008 I entered the Biological Faculty in State University of Nizhniy Novgorod, and totally immersed myself in drawing animals and plants, as it was part of the study.

After graduation, I came to Japan in 2015 to continue my study. That year I learned about USK. New country, many impressions - so I was drawing constantly again, and I started looking for someone doing the same thing. I found the USK community on internet, and then discovered local group, managed by Kumi. She kindly invited me for sketch outing and we get to know each other. That is how I joined in!




Q2,何をスケッチするのが好きですか？（人物、建物、雑踏、食べ物など）
what do you like to sketch particularly? ( people, architect, street crowds, food, etc)

As a naturalist, I am particularly into drawing landscapes, plants, and animals that inhabit them.
I love to sketch nature in the city. For example, shrines, temples and my university campus. I believe that nature can show the culture and identity of a place as good as it does architecture. When talking about urban sketching and urban environment, I love the “old city”.

Q3,USkJに参加して、あるいはスケッチを通じて日常がどう変わった？
What's brought urban sketching in your life?




I think I’ve started sketching more regularly, and somehow consider it a visible part of my life. I mean, the community made me aware of many things! For example, of the mission to show the world one drawing at the time :) It’s about being connected. It gives me strength. Also, feel warm in any place around the world, because I know there are friends sketchers there! :D


Q4, 好きなスケッチャーは誰？
Name your favorite/inspirational sketchers.




I like the reportage capture of Rita Sabler, raw energetic lines of Veronica Lawlor, super-long panoramas of Tia Boon Sim, and the unique touch of KK. I really like the ink style of Rolfschroeter based in Berlin. Almost none of them I met in person! I also personally love the USK Singapore, the whole chapter. They are an example to look up to, I think. USK Singapore published series of books about the various districts of the city, caring about it's heritage. USK Singapore is very cheerful chapter and mood-making at any event. I attended the regional (Asian) meetings - Asia Sketch Link events in Kuching (Malaysia) and Taichung (Taiwan) and met wonderful people there. I will definetely go on such gathering again! 

With USK Singapore in 2018

Q5, USkJでやってみたいことはありますか？
　Is there anything you want to try as USkJ activity?

はい！ 都市の自然を中心に都市スケッチをやってみたいです。 庭園や植物園とのコラボレーションや、サイポップな自然観察活動は面白いかもしれません。 スケッチは多機能なツールです。学ぶ、世界を発見する、理解を伝えるなどです。私は、民族誌学、参加型計画、環境教育など、学術研究や行動でスケッチを使用する可能性を検討しています。 そこで、USK JapanとUSKの理事会メンバーとともに、2018年にワークショップとディスカッションを開催しました。




Yes! I want to try urban sketching with a focus on urban nature. It could be interesting to make collaborations with gardens or botanical gardens, to make sci-pop nature observation activities.  Sketching is a multifunctional tool: to learn, to discover the world, to communicate your understanding, etc. I am looking into the possibilities to use sketching in academic research and action: ethnography, participatory planning, environmental education. So, with the USK Japan and USK board members, we organized workshops and discussions in 2018.

 

Mariia is making pojects in Matsudo, using sketching as a method in participatpry community design and environmental education (Photo by Mariia Ermilova) 

Q3に関してですが、マリアさんは在学中に千葉大学と地域自治会の協力を得て、USkの本部のボードーメンバーが来日したときにWorkshopを開催したと言う経歴がありますよね。
そこに至るきっかけ、やりがい、難しさ、アドバイスなどを聞きたいです。
Regarding your first experience in organizing Sketch Workshops in Chiba University as well as Matsudo Iwase municipal hall in 2018, tell us the most difficult part ( rewarding, fun part as well ) in organizing such an event. And how do you get necessary cooperation particularly?

Photo from event in Iwase local community and Chiba University, Matsudo, February 2018 

まず、上司の木下勇先生にご協力をお願いしました。コミュニティデザインや子どもたちの参加を中心に、社会参加型のアートを中心に興味を持っている教授です。ちなみに、木下先生は旅行中は小さなアルバムにスケッチを描く癖もあります。そして、出身は建築です。それで、彼は私のイベントをサポートして、私たちのディスカッションセッションのモデレーターになることに同意しました。彼はスケッチウォークにも参加しました。大学の学生として、松戸キャンパス大学院園芸学研究科での会議やイベントの講堂を予約することができました。次のステップは、松戸市の岩瀬自治会です。私は自治会のの会長や役員にイベントを作ることができるかどうか尋ねました。私と私のパートナー光成寺田は岩瀬でコミュニティコーディネーターとして働いているので、私たちは素晴らしいサポートを受けています。コミュニティの一部のメンバーはスケッチウォークにも参加しました。初めての大きなスケッチイベントだったのでわくわくしました。しかし、私は間違いから学び、今はもっとうまくやりたいと思っています！このイベントは私に考えの糧を与えてくれました。誰もが簡単に参加して交流し、他の人や周囲の環境とつながることができるスケッチ活動を、誰もが楽しめるようにする可能性を考えています。

First of all, I asked my supervisor professor Isami Kinoshita for cooperation, his area of interest mainly circled around community design and children participation, includes socially engaged, participatory art. By the way, he also have a habit of drawing sketches in little album while traveling. So, he agreed to support the event and be a moderator on our discussion session. He also joined the sketch walks! As a student of Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, I was able to book auditoriums for the meetings and event.
The next step was to get the cooperation in the community where I am living - it is Iwase Neighborhood Association in Matsudo. I asked local leaders if I can make an event on their territory. Me and my partner working as community coordinators in Iwase, so we get a great support. Some members of community even participated in sketch walk.
It was a first big sketching event we organized, so It was worrisome. But I learned from mistakes and now want to do things better!
This event gave me food for a thought. I am reflecting on possibility to make sketching an activity for everyone, which people can easily join and socialize, connect with others and environment around them.

最近、私はネイチャージャーナルの描画に焦点を合わせました-自然を観察しながらスケッチします。 日本の動植物の名前を知りたいので、自分の住んでいる環境を知るために描いていますす。 今後も、学術研究や教育のツールとしてスケッチを取り入れてつつきたいと思います。

Recently I focused on drawing Nature Journals - sketching while observing nature. I want to learn the names of Japanese plants and animals, so it is helping me to get aquainted with the environment where I live. I plan to continue on involving sketch as a tool in academic research and education.