Art comes from life, not from the studio

I think the role of artists in the past was very different. Artists had less responsibility in many ways.

The brother of my grandfather was the patriarch of the Orthodox Church and revered as a saint. So everything in my childhood is about total sacrifice, whether to religion or to communism. This is what is engraved on me. This is why I have this insane willpower. My body is now beginning to be falling apart, but I will do it to the end. I don't care. With me it is about whatever it takes.

In my work I have complete control, but about my life, I don't want to.

I hate studio. For me, studio is a trap to overproduce and repeat yourself. It is a habit that leads to art pollution.

I always do big birthday things. In three years, I'm 70. I'm going to do something outrageous. In America, everyone's always hiding their age.

We are used to cleaning the outside house, but the most important house to clean is yourself - your own house - which we never do.