Reality on a Plate with Emilian Pospaii
reality on a plate is a new publishing feature series that, in response to member requests, allows individuals to dive deeper into the experiences of others before attending our events, fostering a sense of familiarity and connection.
Poet, Illustrator & Researcher
Growing up close to the mountains, surrounded by nature, plants, and the quiet influence of his mother and grandmother, Emilian Pospaii developed a world of his own, somewhere between poetry, illustration, faith, and curiosity.
tell us about your background — where did you grow up, what was food like in your home, and which memories shaped who you are today
I grew up near the mountains, and my childhood took shape in nature, alongside my grandmother and mother. I always knew I felt good among plants, surrounded by all kinds of materials that would later become useful in my creative process: clay, dried plants, rocks, rare plants.
I remember loving dishes that other people couldn't stand, like quince stew, but also raw vegan food. I grew up in a Reformed Protestant family, which is where my appreciation for everything raw, ethical, and clean comes from.
what does your morning routine look like, from the moment you wake up until you leave the house
A Zoom call with my church every morning at 8 sharp, where we follow a devotional: we take turns reading a verse from the Bible and listening to a hymn.
Then a shower, all sorts of creams and getting dressed rather randomly. Sometimes I have coffee, which I grind myself.
what are three things we would always find in your fridge or pantry
Hmm, Parmesan definitely comes first. Then fresh vegetables and condiments for just about anything: capers, apple cider vinegar, chilli paste, candied orange peel, miso, soy sauce.
where do you usually shop for food: market, grocery store, or particular shopping ritual
I don't have a shopping ritual. I don't particularly enjoy grocery shopping, and sometimes I manage to get out of it altogether.
I like markets full of fresh greens, provided they're well organised and ethical. I also like speciality food shops, especially those selling Italian products.
what's the most memorable meal you've ever shared with someone
An apple cake with caramelised sugar, made by the special person in my life.
do you listen to music while cooking
Sometimes I listen through headphones, other times on the radio. In the kitchen, Radio România Cultural is always playing quietly in the background. Occasionally, it's Radio România Muzical or RFI.
when you're hosting friends at home, what do you usually put on the table
We almost always cook. If it's breakfast, special omelettes. If it's lunch, the oven gets put to work, every single time. We don't do dinner at home.
is there a particular table, at home or elsewhere, that holds special meaning for you
There is. It's a place in Italy that I revisit in my mind throughout the year, and in person every day for two weeks during the summer.
It's in a small town on the west coast, a place someone introduced me to one scorching summer. I've felt connected to it ever since.
how did your relationship with poetry and illustration begin
Poetry has always been my primary form of expression. I've used it since childhood as a way of contemplating my own body and actions. I would talk to myself, searching for a story to tell myself.
Then drawings entered the picture. At first, they were naive and inexplicable, later unpredictable and figurative. As an adult, they became accompanied by verses.
Now I'm in my abstract era, even though I have elaborate explanations for every line I draw.
I don't think I'll ever return to figurative work. I want to explore, to the very limit, this vast tide of forms that resist being discovered, evaluated, and explained.
you're a poet, illustrator, and researcher. How do these three worlds influence one another
Poetry dictates the illustrations. Sometimes the illustrations change the direction of my thinking, the path itself. And research perfects them both.
I can't think of a better combination. Perhaps something in the world of food.
beyond our conversation, a closer look at Emilian Pospaii's published work
Cover versions: 2
Poems accompanied by images: family portraits, personal objects, handwritten notes, Polaroids, and introspective passages — ephemeral pages dedicated to my grandmother, Cornelia Spiridon Grigoroiu.
Find in store:aparterre.com
Limited Edition — Signed Insert
Poems and ink illustrations — a visual representation of ideas in the form of mind maps, with radial, interconnected branches.
Cover versions: 2
123 travel poems written throughout 2019.
Find in store:carturesti.ro
Free verse exploring the tension between the pleasure-seeking self and the reality-oriented self. Another personal exercise in self-inquiry.
is there a particular poem, illustration, or project you've created that you wish more people knew about
Yes. There's one included in my upcoming book, Zwingli.
It's called AICI ACUM (HERE NOW), and it's a concise poem, a little toy. It works like a refrain or a reminder.
62 AICI ACUM
AAICCUIM AACIUCMI:
here contains now / now contains here.
has a book, a work of art, or an encounter ever completely changed the way you see the world
Many. Every stage of my life has its own influences, an entire archive spanning all kinds of disciplines.
What comes to mind right now is a wall-sized graphic work by Michele Oka Doner, and Dino Buzzati's short story The Colomber. And so many others.
what does your creative process look like
do you have any rituals before you start writing or drawing
First of all, I wash my hands.
Then I prepare a sheet of paper to rest my hand on as I lean over the work I'm about to make. Sometimes ink spreads faster than words.
what are you currently researching or exploring that has captured your curiosity
I'm preparing my next book of poetry, photography, and ink illustrations. It's called Zwingli, and it takes as its starting point a Swiss reformer born in 1484.
A serious kind of play.
which artists, writers, or thinkers have had the greatest influence on your work
I have a substantial library, and I've visited perhaps too many places.
I prefer to believe that I've begun influencing my own movements, with the contributions of people in the art world serving mainly to update, analyse, and synthesise information.
what are you working on right now, and where can people discover your work
I update it regularly.
what's one thing you never leave the house without
Probably my little bell-shaped pendant. I feel naked without it, as though I lose my innocent little lamb self when it's not hanging around my neck.
what's a film you could watch over and over again
Twin Peaks forever.
what's the most memorable exhibition, performance, or cultural experience you've attended recently
I really loved an exhibition space inside the Brukenthal Museum, where I also exhibited alongside other artists.It's a group exhibition that can be visited until March next year.
what are you currently watching, reading, or listening to
I've been watching strange old films, the kind that don't follow the rhythm of films made today.
I listen to ambient and classical music.
One recommendation: HUG by Gyan Riley, Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson.
what's a small everyday ritual that makes your life better
Cleaning and wiping my glasses. I love the feeling of having them perfectly clean and knowing they're disinfected.
what's your guilty pleasure
Strawberry ice cream, sometimes mixed with vanilla.
When my tongue starts going numb, I stop. That's the sign.
what's something you've recently changed your mind about
I used to think summer was paradise. I don't believe that anymore.
I hope that one day I'll live somewhere in the north, close to nature and water.
what's on your phone's lock screen right now
For some time now, I've had an image of a 16th-century tapestry depicting Jesus emerging from the tomb, a Resurrection.
It gives me hope and allows me to think, to focus, whenever I pick up my phone.
what's the last photo you took
A photo of my worktable, covered in drawings, drafts, ideas, and possibilities for a new project.
what's the last thing you bought
Two books from a rather unfriendly second-hand bookshop.
what's the last thing you saved on Instagram
A carousel of images featuring Lithos, a book published by David Lynch.
what's the last thing you Googled
A typeface I'm thinking of buying for my next poetry book.
what's something you're still a beginner at
Being with myself. Just me, with myself, inside myself.
Over coffee, by a lake, or on a plane.
I'm still learning.
what if things go well?
We make things go well, through respect and compassion. The two most beautiful words in the world.
all images provided by Emilian Pospaii
editor Alinz
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