I’m a stage designer and a costume designer for theatre and cinema. I’ve started my career in Russia, however now it’s a time to continue it in Israel.
What is the best thing that I love about my work? I was always afraid of routine job, where you do the same things any other day. That’s the reason why I finally came to cinema and theatre – here you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, you always deal with new challenges, styles, variations which are pushing the boundaries. This is always exciting process, from finding a solution to getting a result I experience and translate quite a spectrum of powerful emotions, and those emotions are very important for me.
What is my idea of happiness? I’m happy when I see something good that I’ve created, something that contains part of me. It could be illustrations, clothes, stage decorations, performances or movies, or… my children. To see and understand that you didn’t waste your time, but made a world a bit better.
What is my greatest fear? I always afraid to make my job not good enough. This is how any new project begins: I feel myself as an actor stepping the stage. Any new project is a challenge, however this is exactly what’s inspiring me.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? I’m endlessly continue improving results, sometimes contrary to common sense. I’d like to learn when it’s good enough and where is time to stop. Otherwise it’s hard to start something new.
Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? Many. Extravagancy of Jan Fabre, dance of rhythmical simplicity by Anna Theresa De Keersmaker as well as film’s costume designers Jenny Beaven, Colleen Atwood, Jacqueline West and many others. I fond of those people, who were changing their life following their profession. In a closest range I admire the most my teachers: Galina Solodovnikova, a stage and costume designer, Tanya Dolmatovskaya – a costume designer, Kirill Serebrennikov – a theatre and movies director. They all have taught me that the main thing in creation is chemistry between people, and all other professional skills are secomdary.
What is my greatest extravagance? I think that it’s in conciseness. In an understanding when enough is enough. I can be silent, but with a swarm of thoughts in my head. I prefer black, but it’s not just a color for me, it’s an instrument for the revealing all the other colours. Simplicity make sense more powerful when you understand the artist.
On what occasion would I lie? I wouldn’t ever. The most I could do this way is keep silence.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? I don’t like a lot misunderstanding during creation of new objects. For example, for the last few years people got used to 3D visualisation and hyperrealistic images so much, that sometimes they don’t have enough imagination to understand that realisation of such an object in reality may does not fit the elementary laws of physics.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work? It seems for me that with the any other project I feel happy myself at the finish of it as if it were for the first time ever. Sometimes moments of happiness are unpredictable. I remember one of those when we worked with a brilliant actress Chulpan Hamatova. We rehearsed «Mandelshtam. Vek Volkodav» at Gogol Centre, and I had to take my 3-year old daughter Esther with me to the theatre. Chulpan put Esther on her lap and they were funny chatting while I were finalising her suit. I was surely happy at that moment, it was proof that women can do anything.
If I could, what would I change about myself? Nothing. I am who I am, as mother nature created and gifted me with.
What is my greatest achievement in work? When I was a little girl I always red all the titles in the end of the movies and my secret desire was once to see there my own name. Now it seems like it’s realising in a very lovely projects, which I admit as a huge achievement for me.
Where would I most like to live? A simple question, which is however not easy to answer. I always wanted to be surrounded by nature, but in the centre of events. I try to maintain this balance wherever I move on Earth.
What is my most treasured possession? To see and keep the balance in everything I do. When the balance exists, it makes the whole world more valuable. Contrary, prevalence of extremes are crushing everything in the world.
What is my most marked characteristic? People often say then I’m a perfectionist.
What is my most inspirational location, in my city? When I used to live in Moscow my loveliest places were Hermitage garden, Hudozhestvenny movie-theatre, Gogol Center, Tretyakov Gallery, sunsets above Tverskaya street… Now I live in Israel and keep discovering those places. The most inspiring me here are antique cities and museums, walking in a beautiful parks and watching the sea, which I can do endlessly.
What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? The ever-best option in Israel – is a basket with a bottle of cold Prosecco and two glasses on the beach at the sunset.
What books influenced my life and how? «Master and Margarita» by M. Bulgakov, «Crime and Punishment» by F. Dostoevsky, «Anna Karenina», «Sunday», «War and Peace» by L. Tolstoy, «The Catcher in the Rye» by G. Sellinger, «American Tragedy» by T. Draiser, «Jane Eyre» by Ch. Bronte, «Uncle Tom’s Cabin» by H. Beecher Stowe, «Les Miserables» by V. Hugo… Since my studying in High School those books as the beads were strung one after another on a necklace of my mind, educating my soul.
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? Beethoven’s 7th symphony.
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? The first reflection on this question are two characters from Russian literature: Anna Karenina and Margarita. The first one – a rebel against patriarchy despite all of her advantages and disadvantages; the second one – a mystical hero, a woman of a modern world (relatively modern, but still modern), she was even not quite a real, she was like a part of men’s concept of what’s women like: a woman-muse, a woman-friend. A person, where power and tenderness, wisdom and courage, delicacy and audacity, love and hate were assembled altogether. That’s why when I was invited to participate in a creation of a new movie based on that Bulgakov’s novel, I answered YesYesYes!!! before even thinking of position and salary.
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? They are my nearest people. My children, my husband, my friends, my colleagues. To be a hero in my eyes does not mean to make literally feats. It means to do good what you do, to love, to grew up, to achieve or even sometimes to get upset.
Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? I love movies. Many of them. French, German, British, American, Russian, Japanese and of cause Italian. But the one very special for me personally is «Breakfast at Tiffany’s» with Audrey Hepburn changed my life.
What role play stories in my life and work? It seems stories appear occasionally in our life and sometimes influence it significantly. They can turn back time, move to another place, change our choice. But I believe that good stories come to good people.
What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? I’d say that you’re the writer of your life, or even screenwriter. You’re responsible for your choices and for reflection on your decisions. Only the writer knows what is that all story about.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My biggest fan and my support is my husband. And are my children. My husband always believed in my talent and supported me, listened my concerns and doubts, helped me in a tough times. Due to that I didn’t give up and continue learning and working hard, become a costume artist and give a birth for two children. The last one, however, was about to be born at the set of «Olma Djon» movie, which we were creating at that time in the mountains of Kazakhstan.
Which people or companies would I like to work with ? I really want to better understand the culture and freedom of art and life in Israel. There is quite a big difference between Israel and Russia, different approaches, styles and visions, but I think that such a mix always brings something new and interesting to my works.
I really want to work with:
http://www.gesher-theatre.co.il – Lena Kreindlina
https://lilugoldfine.wixsite.com/lilugoldfine/tv-film – Lital Goldfine, costume designer
https://batsheva.co.il/en/dancer/eri-nakamura/ – Eri Nakamura
https://www.israel-opera.co.il/eng/
What project am I looking forward to work on? I wait hard to start working with theatre in Israel. A new country, a start from scratch.
Where can you see me or my work? As an artist, I always stay behind the scenes. But you can see my job at the following link, which I share gladly with all my soul.
Portfolio
https://www.behance.net/aleksaronova2baf
Professional instagramm page:
https://instagram.com/aronov_alexa_des?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Films:
Master and Margarita (English title)/Master i Margarita (Russia title) (2023)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14536120/reference/
Guest from the Future (World-wide, English title)/
Sto let tomu vperyod (Russia title) (2024)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23789874/reference/
Olma Djon (France/Kazakhstan) 2019
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6809662/reference/?ref_=tt_mv_close
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Passion is like a fire: it can be extinguished or flare up with new power. My passion belongs to theatre and cinema.
Which creative professionals should Peter invite to tell their story?
http://olmadjonfilm.com/ – Victoria Yakubova/director
https://www.iragallery.com/ – Ira Eduardovna/multimedia artist
https://instagram.com/dianalav_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== – Diana Lavrenteva/jewelry
designer
https://instagram.com/anna_brusha_writer?igshid=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA== – Anna Brusha/
writer
The Heroine's Journey 