Stephan "Calma" Doitschinoff
Words by Sami Montague
Stephan Doitschinoff or under his nom de plume ‘Calma’ is an artist at the very top of his game. Working under both names, this Brazilian artist creates work of intense beauty and mystery. Mynameis? caught up with him in an attempt to uncover more of the man and his art.
Given the deep air of religious significance and symbolism apparent in Stephan Doitschinoff ’s art it will come as no surprise to learn his upbringing was very religious. His nom de plume ‘Calma’ means ‘calm down,’ and also has another meaning in Latin which Doitschinoff is particularly keen on as he explains: ‘I like its Latin meaning. It comes from the contraction of Con Alma or C’Alma, which means “with soul.” I started using Calma, as a koan, it appeared next to a depiction of something or someone afflicted or disturbed in the paintings and posters I would put up in Sao Paulo. It wasn’t necessarily something made to be a signature.’
Doitschinoff was immersed in the world of religion as a child. His grandparents were active spiritualists, his father a minister for the evangelical church and he spent his holidays on church-organised summer trips. Consequently much of his daily existence was governed and ruled by the kinds of strict manners and ways of living that many religions expect. Despite never really being encouraged to make art, he says ‘it was not considered evil either, like music and TV were.’ Comics like Conan, Red Sonja and Solomon Kane were early influences and later in life he started to practice his skills by copying record covers – he refers to them as ‘contraband’ record covers that he and his sisters kept hidden from his parents.
The FULL interview with CALMA appears in issue 5 of Mynameis? magazine - click here to purchase your copy www.graphotism.com/Subscribe-Graphotism-or-MyNameIs-Magazine.74.0.html
