Another hero of Handballfast author’s column is the right wing of Telekom Veszprem and the national team of Belarus Nikita Vailupov — about purchase of drone, Hungarian cuisine, disgust for alcohol and also about unusual paintings he creates.
1. All handball world knows, you paint your pictures in an abstract expressionist style. Though you once said in an interview to Handballfast: "I don’t think, this passion is for all times. I’m interested in lots of things". What exactly are you interested in?
— Speaking about new hobby, I recently bought a drone. An examination for A1 and A3 license is ahead. Then I will be able to use the device officially within the European Union. For me it is not just an entertainment, with a drone I will shoot my trainings at different degrees and upload videos to social media. I also would like to share experience with young handball players. I will record a complete course of individual trainings with a focus on throws and other useful things and put it online. I haven’t decided yet, whether I’ll do it for free or not.
Concerning paintings — it’s just a hobby. One day I got interested in it and still can’t stop. In parallel I study graphic and motion design, I try myself in collage. In general, I try to develop and find something new.
2. How much is a drone?
— The prices are different. Agricultural drones, which are used in agriculture industry, cost 35-40 thousand of dollars. There are high-speed FPV drones, which stand for First Person View. They are much cheaper.
My drone is only for areal photography. I paid 1 thousand euro. It’s the best option in terms of price-quality ratio. I’m a novice at this, not a fan. I’m trying to get used to.
3. Four years ago you admitted that you couldn’t draw: "I can represent neither a cat, nor a dog, nor a still life". Has something changed since then?
— No. Still life paintings, landscapes, portraits are not for me. I still can’t paint it and I’m not looking for trying to. It’s not interesting for me. Classical painting is not my format. Unlike abstraction. There are improvements here, as well as in digital art. I can see the changes of picture mood and technique. New methods appear…
4. They say, Aivazovsky could paint one-meter picture in half an hour. Is it your case?
— It depends. Sometimes I can paint three works within ten minutes. But I also can spend several days on a picture. My record in this regard is two weeks. I was working in Minsk on a project, ordered by my club mate. The difficulty was that he asked a picture in the cubism style, we worked on its design together. There were a lot of plane geometric shapes and layers. It’s impossible to put it at once, you have to wait when it dries out. That’s why the process lasted so long.
5. Do you still work without brushes as before? Do you throw paint to the canvas with hands and use spatula and rubber roller?
— It depends on the canvas size. I don’t deal with large abstraction at the moment. The reason is banal - lack of time. In fact you can use everything that comes in your hands: fingers, brushes, spatula, roller, pencils… It gives different effect.
In abstraction the process itself attracts me. When you walk up to a canvas and you have no idea what will be at the end. If you saw my works, you could probably payed attention that they are bright, juicy and intense. I just take everything inside me out and then I can do nothing for a month and a half. I have no desire.
6. What picture were you especially sorry to say goodbye to?
— To the first one. I put a lot of work and soul into it. But I have a close friend in Minsk, he is not a handball player. He simply fell in love with this painting. He was looking at it in such a way, that I couldn’t resist and gifted it.
From the one hand, I felt sorry to part with it. At the same time each painting should find its home. I even didn’t think about taking money for it. As they say, friend do not sell.
7. What is the record price you sold your picture for?
— About four thousand euro. Though it was a series of eight or nine works. I won’t name the buyer. He asked not to disclose him.
8. Is Jackson Pollock, the founder of the abstract expressionism, your favorite artist?
— Pollock is a genius, I’m excited about his paintings. His famous work "№5" is particularly inspiring. But I have no favorite artist. In this regard, tastes vary depending on mood.
For example, lately, I like Callen Schaub, a Canadian abstract artist. He always uses much acrylic paint. If you are curious, take a look at Youtube, Schaub posts the process of creating his works. It is like an art therapy. You can watch and enjoy it.
9. A couple of years ago Roman Abramovich bought «The Scream» by Munch for 120 million dollars. What did you think about, when you knew it?
— I found out about this from you right now. Obviously, I heard about the painting by Leonardo Da Vinci "Savior of the World", sold at an auction for a record amount of 450 million dollars. It seems to me, that it is too much to pay such money for pieces of art.
Concerning Munch and his «Scream», the painting is rather depressive. Perhaps, something terrible happened in the artist’s life and he implemented it on canvas. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to compare myself to the world classic. I’m talking exclusively about the mood, that creates my works. They are positive, with a bright palette of colors. From a stylistic and emotional viewpoint, it’s closer to me, than an oppressive abstraction.
10. Let’s assume, you can hang any painting on your living room wall. Which one would you chose?
— I wouldn’t like to hang on someone else’s. Better mine. I would make a large circle of epoxy resin and then would use orange, bronze and orange colors. Like on Mars. Why is precisely this kind of picture? It was the first, that came to my mind after your question.
11. What haven’t you tried, although would really like to?
— To start with, to experience the feelings of a handball player, who wins the Champions League and raises the Cup over his head. Secondly, I’ve been dreaming of skydiving for a long time. To put yourself in the conditions of overcoming — and to come out of this internal struggle as the winner. But if it happens in my life, it will be possible only after I finish my career.
My dream number three is to sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet.
12. Do you have phobias?
— No, I don’t. I’m not afraid of heights, depth, enclosed spaces, spiders, cockroaches, snakes… You should be aware of human beings, who can betray and slander.
13. Daniil Shishkarev told me about life in Veszprem: "A small town on the shores of Lake Balaton. There are crowds of tourists there in summer, but in winter almost nobody comes here. Empty streets, peaceful silence — it was so melancholy here… I was convinced once again — this rhythm of life is not for me".
— On the contrary, I feel comfortable here and enjoy this serenity. My native town Vitebsk is of the similar pace.Clean, calm, no one is in hurry. The same situation is in Brest, where I played three seasons. Indeed, there are few entertainments in Veszprem, but it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m a homebody by nature, I don’t need night clubs and action.
14. And here is the quote of Dmitriy Zhitnikov: "Hungarian dishes are delicious, but heavy and high in calories. An rather spicy as well, chefs don’t spare pepper»". Is it a problem for you also?
— No, it isn’t. For me the hotter —the better. First of all I bought In Veszprem a jar of Eros PISTA — a legendary Hungarian chopped paprika and salt sauce. Burning, even fiery, but I like it very much. Now I add it to almost everything I eat. To soups, chicken pastrami, which I cook myself, to everything with the exception of ice-cream.
15. Which dish you’ll never get bored with?
— From Hungarian cuisine? Goulash! It’s incomparable in any cafe here. Beef is so joucy, soft and tender, that it just melts in your mouth.
My wife has two specialties — pickle and cheesecakes… When I come home, I eat everything that cooks my mother with pleasure. She succeeds in soups, salads and second courses. And my father makes wonderful roasted potato. I’m telling you and it made me start slobbering.
16. What is the most disgusting thing you ever tried?
— Oysters. For someone it’s a delicacy. And I could hardly swallow one and understood, that won’t even touch the second one.
17. We reached traditional for this column questions. Zhitnikov’s favorite series is "Sons of Anarchy", Antonina Skrobogatchenko likes "Love is in the air. And what about you?
— "Magnificent Century". A Turkish historical drama about Sultan Suleiman. 150 series, one hour and a half each in one breath. We watched it three times with my wife.
18. And what film from recently viewed you won’t review?
— "Monogamous". I don’t think much about Russian series, but this one suddenly appeared in recommendations. So, I turned it on and watched it till the end only with moral and will. There’ll be no second time definitely.
19. A famous tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov once told me: "I can’t stand blondies and cognac". What do you dislike?
— I can’t stand lies, injustice, lack of will. I don’t like when a man doesn’t fight for his dream. Also alcohol and cigarettes cause disgust. I don’t drink and smoke.
20. The six-time world champion in swimming Yuliya Efimova once said: "I’m mean, hot-tempered, stubborn". How would you characterize yourself?
— I’m naive, sometimes even too much. I’m honest. Straight. And at the same time I am impatient, categorical. From those, who wants everything and at once.
*Author — Sport-Express columnist, specially for Handballfast
Photo: personal archive of Nikita Vailupov
