RED MAN: Where were you born?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I was born in a village in northern Romania. The village's name is Baluseni. It can be banal and common for people foreign to my native places. For me, it's the most beautiful place on the planet.
RED MAN: What was your childhood like? Are there any events related to art?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Freedom is a great theme of many creators. For me, out of the many meanings of freedom, childhood was the most fascinating and true form of freedom. Living in a permanent joy, pure and full of candor is an open way to sensitivity and art. Even more efficient than an art school.
RED MAN: When did you start drawing?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: The family I was born into was a poor one. A goat gave us a serious help, a kind of cafeteria with udders, which provides us with a daily menu of milk. Because I was grateful to her I was trying to pay her kindness by drawing her. I don't know if the goat was impressed by the dozens of drawings dedicated to her generosity. But I got the vice of drawing, a virus that I haven't cured all my life.
RED MAN: Have you ever studied at an art school?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I studied fine arts at a fine arts school. But I think very important is self-taught study. The way you feel the world when you draw, you understand it only if you are your own teacher.
RED MAN: Did you start creating cartoon at that time?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I was very passionate about playing football. I remember playing football all summer using Chinese tennis. I didn't have time to document, read or find out that there are cartoons in the world. It wasn't until I was 17 that I first opened a humour magazine (the only humour magazine ever, URZICA) and I had fun seeing the first cartoons. I discovered a new world and I began to deform the faces and proportions in drawing.
RED MAN: We would like to know when you decided to become an artist? Is your family full of artistic atmosphere?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I repeat. When I opened the pages of a comic and cartoon magazine I felt like I was opening the door to a new universe where I felt comfortable.
RED MAN: What do your family and friends think of your choice to "make a living through art"? To what extent do they support you?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Caricature is humor. Humor is a binder that definitely strengthens ties with family and friends. Are there people who don't like to laugh? I don't think so.
RED MAN: What is your family background?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: My wife's a teacher. I have two sons. They're both designers.
RED MAN: When did you start creating international cartoon works and participating in international cartoon competitions? Did any special issues or events ignite your inspiration and start a new creative path?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: After I started publishing cartoons in newspapers and magazines. In the editing of the humour magazine URZICA, I met many caricaturists who participated in national and international caricature exhibitions and competitions. That's when I decided to participate in such graphic races. I got lucky. Very quickly I was awarded a first prize at the great international caricature competition in Montreal. I found a check in my mailbox for $1,000.
RED MAN: We understand that your work looks very rich, with grand scenes, numerous and meticulous characters, full and rich visuals, relaxed and natural lines, and distinctive features. How did you develop your own style?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: It's a natural way of feeling caricature. I was fascinated by the crowd, or in other words, the crowd can be viewed as a single character, collectively. It is unified even if it is diverse. I think the graphic composition becomes more interesting by distributing many characters on the surface of the paper. It has a different vibe and helps a lot the atmosphere of an idea. I came to this style after many years.
RED MAN: What is on your mind when you are painting?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: We live in the real world when we walk, shop or wash dishes in the kitchen, but when we sit at the work table and draw, we enter with our mind an imaginary universe where we look for many relationships between people and different situations. We usually find a solution that has a sense of humor. So do I, and so do all cartoonists.
RED MAN: There is no text in your work. Do you oppose the use of text? Do you think there is always a way to convey information or ideas purely from images?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Of course. A drawing without words has a much higher value because it explains only by the power of an image a message. I think that in this plus we use more intelligence to express an idea. In fact, so are the requests of the organizers of international caricature exhibitions.
RED MAN: What artists or works have influenced you in the process of forming your unique style? You can give an example, for example, show the two or three works that you think have had the greatest impact on you to everyone.
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: From Romania I have always admired cartoonists Matty, Nell Cobar or Constantin Ciosu. Among the caricaturists of the world, I was impressed and influenced by the great caricaturists Sempe, Quino or Angel Boligan.
RED MAN: Where do you think the world's cartoon originated from? When is the origin time?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: The first drawings stylized almost caricaturally in the world and in time were those in caves. Then the cartoonists felt the need to caricaturally exaggerate the human proportions, in order to usually describe human defects only humorous situations.
In Romania the first cartoons appeared almost a hundred years ago. The authors were painters or graphic artists with predisposition to caricature plastic deformations. Such were Tonitza, Grigorescu, Ross, etc. They were asked to make drawings or covers in the press of the time and usually made political drawings.
RED MAN: We know that Romania art is very distinctive. How has the development of Romania cartoon been? Are there many professional cartoonists in Romania? How is their living condition?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I believe that in Romania there was and there is a valuable platoon of caricaturists, representative in the world caricature. Generally we say that Romanians know how to make fun of trouble. This is specific to us, the Romanian cartoonists. Once there were hundreds of Romanian cartoonists who drew at a high level of professionalism. Caricature was also a way to survive financially, through salaries received through contracts at various newspapers in the country and around the world. Currently it is clear that the printed press has disappeared and the number of caricaturists has fallen very much.
RED MAN: Are there many cartoon publications, magazines, and newspapers in Romania? How did they reach the hands of the readers?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I have already said that in Romania the number of publications has greatly decreased. Besides, this has happened in the world in the great world press. Many of the great cartoonists who had contracts to major publications all over the world have been left without jobs, which is a disadvantage and a consequence of the emergence of online media.
RED MAN: What is people's definition of cartoon? Do people like cartoon? Especially do schools and parents allow children to read cartoon?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Caricature is certainly an important graphic art. A caricature by simple means conveys stronger messages than those transmitted through entire written pages. In the press often a caricature has a greater force than a written editorial. This feature could be used in schools, in various school textbooks, for a better understanding of information. Both by the children and by the parents.
RED MAN: Are there many derivative products of cartoon in Romania, and do cartoon images often appear on products? Do people like these products?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: There is. In the caricatural way, many animated films are made. Also the caricature style is widely used in packaging design of many commercial products.
RED MAN: In Romania, whether it is primary school, secondary school, or university, are there any specialized courses in cartoon? What are the ways people learn cartoon?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I know there are countries in which there are caricature courses in schools or even universities. I know they exist in South Korea, Japan, America. I don't know if China is. Unfortunately, there are no such schools in Romania. Humorous culture through caricature and makes each by reading, self-taught.
RED MAN: Is there a cartoon museum in Romania? If so, please introduce the Cartoon Museum to your readers.
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: There are two caricature museums in Romania. In Vaslui city, and in Braila city. International Caricature Competitions are organized in both cities.
RED MAN: Romania is an important country on the the Belt and Road (the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road). Romania has extensive cooperation and contacts with China in trade, economy, science and technology, education, culture and art, etc. What role has cartoons played in the Belt and Road (the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road)? What role do you think comics can play in the future of the the Belt and Road (the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road)?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: The fame of Chinese culture is huge and well known all over the world. It has an extraordinary history and a special spiritual specificity. We already enjoy a cooperation with the culture and creative spirit of Romanian artists. Surely this cooperation has existed for many years in many fields of activity. Many Romanian caricaturists participate in caricature exhibitions in China. And many Chinese cartoonists participate in exhibitions in Romania. I was invited 10 days to a cultural event in China, in LIBO, by
To Mr. Liuwy Wang. I discovered then... Planet China. A miraculous world of extraordinary beauty.
RED MAN: What cultural heritage is there in Romania? Do government departments and people attach great importance to these cultural heritages? What is people's understanding of these cultural heritages? What impact does cultural heritage have on you?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Modern Romanian culture has emerged and developed in the last about 250 years under a strong influence from Western European cultures, especially French and German culture. In addition, under the influence of the Byzantine and Slavonic tradition, the Romans are also the only Christian people among the Latin peoples.
A contribution to the Romanian identity or culture has also brought in various periods other ethnic communities, smaller or larger, established over the centuries on the Romanian territory. In Dacian culture. There are numerous evidences of Romanian Cultures from the Middle Ages. Then a period of classical culture
The revolutionary year 1848 had echoes in the formation of an elite, called the "Passover", largely influenced by French culture, appeared in the middle of the 19th century. Romanians are proud of a large array of great writers, poets, sculptors (Constantin Brancusi), musicians, directors, etc.
RED MAN: What have people done to protect these cultural heritages? (Specific measures and promotion methods.) What role has cartoons played in cultural heritage protection? What role do you think cartoons can play in the protection of cultural heritage in the future?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: As I said there are two Museums of caricature in which are archived a large number of caricatures from many years ago of many Romanian caricaturists. Also, in each city there are libraries that have collections of humor magazines and newspapers and magazines that have published cartoons.All this heritage, is a special spiritual one, because it comments on the history and culture of the country with the help of some and satire.
RED MAN: This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the world anti fascist movement. What is the understanding of Romania youth towards the 80th anniversary of the victory of the world anti fascist movement? What educational measures does Romania have in this regard? Have Romania cartoonists produced any anti Fascist cartoon works over the past 80 years?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Of course. The anti-fascist movement was a very important theme of the caricaturists of those years. Even today the dangerous buds of the old fascist movements appear in the world and in our country. Caricature makes both adults and mainly young people understand how toxic it was and is this movement. Of course, this topic is very addressed in the press around the world, as well as in our country.
RED MAN: Are there any commemorative facilities in Romania for the victory of the anti fascist movement? What are the regular commemorative activities?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: There are many such actions on commemorative days. Officials meet a large number of people, speeches are held that explain how bad this disease of history was, flowers are laid, in a festive setting, with an appropriate protocol. It is good that such actions are organized with children by schools.
RED MAN: What other hobbies do you have in your life?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I really like football. I was a football player for a professional team, Division B. I like to go fishing. And when I was young, a great hobby was to admire beautiful women.
RED MAN: If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: Lately I've discovered that we usually eat a small number of daily foods all our lives. But there are thousands of recipes, a real culinary art, very interesting. I would have liked to be a chef to experiment with thousands of recipes.
RED MAN: What do you want to say to people who like your work?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: There are many arts that make a kind of comment on the world in which we live. Caricature combines means of expression from literature, painting, cinema, poetry... etc. It's a very complex art. So I invite all people to see a lot of cartoons!
RED MAN: What advice do you have for young cartoon artists who respect you and take you as an example? What would you say to your respected colleagues? What would you say to readers who like your work? What would you say to readers who don't understand humor? Besides, what advice do you give yourself? What advice do you give me?
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: My advice is to be persistent in this work. It is a passion that is full of satisfaction and at the same time it is a permanent gymnastics of mind and creativity. I wish my fellow cartoonists a lot of hard work and I convey to them all my friendship. I suggest readers who consume caricatures to look for caricatures wherever possible, in exhibitions, in caricature museums, in the press, as well as on specialized websites. They'll never be disappointed. On the contrary, they will have the finest forms of spirit. My advice to me would be to devote more time to making cartoons. For you, I tell you the same thing, to continue your work dedicated to this true graphic phenomenon, which is highly developed on all continents.
RED MAN: Without a doubt, you have succeeded. I know you are happy with what you have done.
Lastly, thank you for your trust and support in our interview!
PAVEL CONSTANTIN: I enjoyed expressing my personal opinions in this friendly interview. I wish you good luck in your work and many joys!!
