Equestrian Warrior statue at Skopje's Macedonia Square. 2025. Photo: Eric Ferreira Crevels
Title: Interview with Valentina Stefanovska
Author: Dr. Eric Ferreira Crevels
Year: 2025
Type: Audio Transcript
Licence: Open Access
29 January 2025 – Café Pelister, Macedonia Square, Skopje, North Macedonia.
The interview was accompanied by the interviewee’s daughter, mediating the talk and simultaneously translating between English and Macedonian. Her translations are not specificized in this document, but they were used to address complicated passages and problematic translations.
Macedonian translations of the questions were given to the interviewee, in writing.
EC: Let’s start with your background. Could you tell me a bit about yourself and how did you become an artist? How was your career before your involvement with Skopje 2014?
VS: From a young age, I always knew I wanted to be an artist, and my parents noticed my talent. However, here, people often asked: What will you do for a living if you study to be an artist? So, I was enrolled in a law high school. My father wanted me to become a lawyer. By the way, I come from an artisan family—my father, now deceased, was a tailor and designer of men’s fashion. After high school, I worked alongside my father, designing models for the brand. We participated in fairs and won numerous awards. We collaborated with Italian companies, world famous brands. However, my desire to study at the Faculty of Fine Arts was too strong, so I enrolled in sculpture at the university, here in Skopje. Before I enrolled, there was a preparatory course where I met Professor Dragan Popovski Dada. When he saw me work, he insisted that I become a sculptor and enroll in the sculpture department.
EC: Do you like that choice?
Yes, yes, I like that choice very much. I am especially grateful to the professor who guided me and recognized my talent. My affinity for art is expressed through sculpture, as it allows me to experience, shape, and represent the things around me in my own unique way, whether in a realistic or abstract form. I graduated from FLU in the class of Professor Branko Koneski and Professor Vasil Vasilev. I completed my master's degree in the class of Dragan Popovski Dada and Žarko Baševski at the same faculty, and I earned my doctorate at the International University of Novi Pazar under the mentorship of Professor Dr. Fehim Husković.
EC: Let’s move on to the second question. - Could you please tell me how did you get involved with the Skopje 2014 project? Can you explain how was the process of getting the commissions and the start of the works?
VS: When I was supposed to defend my master's thesis in 2007, my mentor had health issues, so I had to choose a new mentor. That’s when I chose Žarko Baševski as my professor, and that turned out to be my day of fate—the day that changed my life. When I went to speak with the professor about my thesis defense, he told me that the Municipality of Centar had announced a competition for a monument of Alexander the Great. I found out about it in the third month of the competition, leaving me only one month to create the model. My professor had already been working on his model for two months. Up until then, I had never participated in a competition, but I decided to try my luck. My professor explained the application process to me. That same day, I went to the municipality, despite my husband's objections—he didn’t want me to waste my time, thinking I had no chance of winning. But I was determined. I told myself, "I don’t have to win, I just want them to see that I exist as an artist." I collected the documents from the municipality, and the requirements included an equestrian sculpture of Alexander the Great with a fountain and accompanying figures.
EC: So it was already quite in the format it is now, in the end?
VS: No, only the location and the circular base with a 30-meter diameter were provided. There was a photograph of the site on the square, and the requirements included creating a one-meter plaster model for that location, providing a textual explanation of the idea, and sculpting a detail of the model in a larger dimension, so they could assess my sculpting skills.
EC: So, there was a lot of things that have to be produced already, right? For example, this model and the details, this is already quite a big commitment and investment for the application alone.
VS: The application process was quite extensive. The idea was the most important aspect, which is understandable, since it is for a monumental sculpture in the center of Skopje. Around 25 artists applied for the competition, which was international. I created the model, or rather the conceptual solution, and submitted my application. The joy was overwhelming when I received the news that my model had been selected for execution. Mayor Alarova invited me to a meeting at the municipality, where other municipal representatives were also present. I simply explained my proposal, including all costs, with a total price of 650,000 euros. Which means that this is the total amount with all expenses, including the artist's fee, construction, materials, workers, plaster molds, tools, and other necessary materials. I rented a hall in the Ilinden area and started working with great support from my family. For everything to look as it looks now, I conducted extensive research, using various sources—preserved historical and written documents, preserved vase paintings, sculptures, reliefs, and various archaeological findings. Additionally, I consulted top historians specializing in the study of ancient Macedonian history and the Macedonian phalanx. According to that, all elements of the military equipment and the depictions of battles featured on the marble reliefs have historical and scientific verification.
EC: Can you please describe the projects that you have participated in and how was the process of developing them?
VS: My works include the equestrian sculpture of Alexander the Great with a fountain and accompanying figures, the Philip II of Macedon monument with a fountain and accompanying figures, the Macedonia Gate, the equestrian sculpture of Philip II and the fountain in Avtokomanda. I have also created several donations of sculptures, such as for the Holocaust Memorial, as well as smaller sculptures and reliefs for building facades commissioned by construction companies. Regarding your question about the development process, each model begins with the creation of an iron framework, which is built based on a plaster model. I worked on all sculptures in full scale 1:1. Specifically for the Philip II monument, due to its height of 13 meters, I had to scale up the model multiple times. The one-meter maquette was enlarged to 1.80 meters, representing the actual size of a human figure 1:1. Then, I further increased it to 13 meters. The enlargement was done in two stages. The iron framework was created using a point-marking technique, manually enlarging the sculpture, on which I applied clay. Once the clay models were ready, the next step involved casting the negative and positive molds in plaster.
EC: So, we are actually a little bit into the next question so I am going to ask that already: can you describe how you work in general? And could you talk a little bit about your preferred materials, methods, media and style?
VS: I love working with clay the most, which is later cast in bronze, but I also work with other materials such as wood, marble, polymer, and stainless steel. Most of my sculptures are made in bronze. The first and most important step is modeling in clay—how the model looks in clay is exactly how it will appear in bronze.
[Should I speak generally about artworks or about monuments? A: It is a general question but you are welcome to talk about monuments.]
That means, as I said, modeling is the most important part—it must be done precisely and in great detail. The casting technique is also crucial—how capable the foundry is of executing the work. There is a difference from bronze to bronze, and the quality of the bronze is essential. I am very happy that for the Alexander monument, the Italian foundry with over 300 years of tradition won the tender. I worked very hard, and for me, the most
important thing was that the monument was cast with the highest quality. I haven't explained the entire working process yet. Once the positive mold is created in plaster, those positives are sent to Italy. The same process is repeated, negatives are made, then the model is cast in wax, followed by bronze casting at high temperatures in specialized furnaces. The process is immense—so much work, especially for such large-scaled works of art. Everything was done in sections, and the process is such that nothing can be skipped or rushed. Everything must be done properly.
EC: Ok, so let’s jump to the next one – perhaps it’s a good time now. Regarding this casting process, what do you think is the most important part of the process?
VS: What are the most important parts of the creation process? As I mentioned earlier, clay modeling is the most important part of the process.
EC: Well, then going back a little bit to the monuments, can you talk about the intentions and motivations behind your work?
VS: Everything I do, I do with love. I enjoy my work. I believe that God created me to do this, and I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue my passion. The government initiated this project, allowing me to showcase my qualities. Not just me—40 artists worked on multiple projects. For the first time in Macedonia’s history, artists were given a real opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, making the Macedonian people proud of what we have here at home, not just abroad. However, actions speak louder than words, and time will be the ultimate measure of everything. I worked with love, and when something is done with love, all obstacles can be overcome. I worked tirelessly, day and night, but my deep desire to bring my vision to life contributed to me to create these monumental works.
EC: Okay, so this more in general now, is there a philosophy or tradition that you follow and that informs your work?
VS: I just wanted to add to the previous questions that money has never been important to me. People have always told me, "You took too little for how much you worked," but... for me, the most important thing is that I did what I love, what fulfills me, and what makes me happy. I worked on my artworks and left an everlasting mark for the future generations.
EC: [Repeating] Okay, so this more in general now, is there a philosophy or tradition that you follow and that informs your work?
VS: Skopje 2014 was made very political. In the beginning, this bothered me a lot because there were so many lies in the media. However, that only gave me even greater motivation. Difficulties push you to prove that what you do, you do with love and passion. And that gave me the drive to work even harder. Everyone has the right to their opinion—not everyone is born to understand art, just as not everyone is born to be an artist. That’s why we shouldn’t take it personally. Our job is simply to create and leave a mark in the time we live in.
EC: This question can also be about an artistic philosophy.
VS: I am guided by an external force—without thinking about styles from other eras, I create my works. This is how something new is born.
EC: Okay so moving on, the topic now is, if you could talk more about the daily life and experience of what I am calling the construction site. I understand that a lot of these questions were already answered before, so perhaps we could focus on your responsibility, and for example, how was your relationship with the foundry?
VS: The responsibility was immense—after all, these are monumental works. As the author, I was involved in every stage of the process. In addition to the commissions assigned by the Municipality of Centar, which documented every phase—both in my studio and in the foundry in Italy—I also bore great responsibility in approving each stage myself.
EC: What was the most important technique in the construction – for example, in the foundry?
VS: In the foundry, the most important stage for me was when the sculpture was in wax. I had to ensure that the wax matched my plaster model 100%. When the sculpture is in wax, the artist must be present to thoroughly inspect it. Equally important to me was the assembly in bronze . The statue of Alexander the Great is the largest equestrian sculpture cast in bronze in the world. I had to be absolutely certain that every part was cast perfectly. That’s why I requested that it be fully assembled in Italy before being transported here. Due to its enormous dimensions, they had to find a suitable space for the assembly. Eventually, they found a site used for assembling roller coasters. Once everything was confirmed to be in order, the sculpture was disassembled again into sections for transport to Macedonia.
EC: Can you describe how was the construction site of your project – which, in your case, can also be the atelier? How many people were involved and how were they organised?
VS: The concrete work was carried out by the Macedonian company "Beton", which won the tender from the Municipality of Centar. I had no direct contact with their workers—I only observed them as they worked.
EC: and on the Atelier?
VS: At different stages, different workers were involved, ranging from 10 to 20 people at a time—mostly young individuals who were learning sculpting under my guidance. In the atelier, they refined their skills and developed their craftsmanship.
EC: What was your daily routine while working on the monuments?
VS: А typical day started early—I would wake up at 6 or 7. My atelier was in Ilinden, where I worked. Every day was the same: sculpting in clay, casting in plaster. Sometimes, I would even stay overnight because there was so much work to be done. Working with clay was physically demanding, especially with tight deadlines. Winters were freezing, and heating the space was difficult. Summers were extremely hot. One of my greatest joys was having my family by my side—my husband, Pavle, and my children, David and Ana. Over the years, they grew up witnessing every step of the creation of the monumental works. All the other workers and assistants were also in the studio, working under my guidance.
EC: How did you get along with them?
VS: Very often, it would happen that an assistant worked an entire day , but if I wasn’t satisfied with the result, we had to start over. Over time, they improved. I had an excellent relationship with everyone.
EC: Did you have conflicts with any colleagues?
VS: No, but some workers were occasionally lazy. Still, I always paid them well, so they were happy. I had disagreements with some colleagues because I raised the wages of my workers and assistants, which led other artists working on different projects to raise wages as well. I had a great relationship with everyone. Many who worked with me learned a lot... and to this day, I am still in contact with them.
EC: So, my next question was precisely about your relationship with the other artists working on monuments...
VS: My relationship was excellent. I had no problems. Many of the younger artists sought advice from me regarding the technical execution of the monuments.
EC: And how was your relationship with the government and institutions?
VS: They were stricter. They set specific deadlines and exact dates. A commission often visited. The appointed supervisor was Academic Tome Serafimovski. Many artists complained about him because he wanted to take away their work. But I didn’t have that problem—he was satisfied with my work. As far as I know, he wrote positive comments about me in the report to the municipality. I didn’t have bad relations with anyone.
EC: Now we are moving to the last questions: What is your opinion on the other buildings constructed? On the Skopje 2014 project?
VS: As I said, Macedonian artists were given a huge opportunity to create works. This is positive for art, because many artists didn’t have any work before this project, and with Skopje 2014, they left a mark in their time. Because of this, they all deserve respect. As for the styles, there are different opinions. I can only speak for my own works. I would say—perhaps some of the monuments are placed too close to one another. Maybe they could have been spread out over more locations instead of being so close together.
EC: In light of the critique revolving Skopje 2014, how do you feel about it? Particularly, what are your feelings on the critiques about the artistic value and on the neoclassical style of the project?
VS: At the beginning, it really bothered me how politicized art became. We, artists, don’t understand politics. I must say—this is my personal perspective, I can’t speak for others—I don’t understand politics. It has never interested me. The project became too politicized, and I believe the mistake was attacking the artists, because the artist does what they know. Art is eternal, politics changes. They should not be mixed together.
EC: So, to finish: what are you working with now? How did Skopje 2014 affect your career?
VS: I believe I was used by the media for politicians to gain political points. But all of that didn’t stop me in my work, and now I am proud that my monuments represent a symbol of Macedonia's history and remain as a lasting heritage of the Macedonian people. This is simply a confirmation of my artistic creation and an encouragement to continue creating. Now, as a professor, I pass on my knowledge to my students and transmit my love for art. I act in a way that prevents politics from interfering in our creative work.