ni me.je

Is there a beyond? Beyond biology, beyond art, beyond life itself?

avtor Natalie Cvikl Postružnik 21. novembra, 2024

Estelle Prégaldiny, a woman extraordinaire – a biology teacher, an artist, a mother, a wife, a marathon-runner, an innovator, always searching for the beyond. The interview with Estelle was pure pleasure. Mateja, my dear friend, working in Strasbourg, published an amazing photo of a piece of art. I was breath-taken; writing to Mateja immediately to connect me with this artist. So I got the chance to virtually meet Estelle and she brings so much to our world! I felt humbled right away … her passion for conveying knowledge to her students; her innovations in the classrooms (among them Inspiration (well – our Magazine is Inspire me, so …), her devotion to herself and family and all living and non-living, her courage … it is a gift, a present for us all. I hope you will enjoy reading this interview as much as I was and still am.

Is there a limit between living and non-living?

What inspired you to become a biology teacher, and what has kept you passionate about teaching this subject over the years?

Estelle’s first exhibition

I have always been attracted to science, but initially, I thought I would lean more towards physical sciences or mathematics. But in my last year of high school I had a biology teacher who introduced me to a whole part of biology that I found fascinating, such as cellular biology with genetics and immunity in particular. It was therefore obvious for me to undertake studies in “Biology and Earth Sciences”. After 5 years of studies, I obtained the “Agrégation” in Biology and Earth Sciences. I started teaching, first in middle school and now in high school. As biology is ultimately part of everyone’s life, it’s quite easy to stay informed and especially to interest others. Personally, I am fascinated by evolution and the emergence of life: where is the limit between non-living and living? For example, in a cell: a membrane alone, DNA alone, cytoplasm alone, these are not living-things, they are just molecules, but when everything is together, it is indeed a living cell…

How do you integrate creativity and innovation in your biology classes?

In the high school where I work, all students have a computer, and this allows for infinite creativity! For example, rather than assigning work in a prescribed format, I give students the choice of format: a video, a slideshow, an online quiz, a stop motion animation, but also, of course, anything that can be done without a computer: poster, painting, model, role-play…

Inspiration! In its double meaning

Have recent scientific discoveries or environmental challenges influenced your teaching approach?

Of course, I’m very sensitive to the topic of climate, and as part of an organization called the “Climate Fresk”, I address this subject using a card game. It’s very interactive; students, in small groups, ask themselves many questions to develop a fresco, linking causes and effects, leading to the current global warming. At the end, they decorate and illustrate the fresco, showing a lot of creativity. In French high schools, art is optional, and few students choose it. So I like to offer them as many opportunities of this kind as possible.

In a completely different area, unrelated to my discipline of biology, I have been working for several years to integrate as much well-being as possible into my classes. I have attended numerous conferences on “alternative schooling,” “well-being at school,” and “psychosocial skills.” I am convinced that a student who feels good at school learns much better. In our school system, the older students get, the less we consider their bodies and emotions. We only address the brain. Students work a lot but rarely have the time or opportunity to express their feelings. I think this is one of the reasons why students are sometimes under a great deal of stress. This year, I initiated a class project called “Inspiration”! It’s fitting, isn’t it? I chose this word for its double meaning: creative inspiration on one hand, and inspiration in reference to breathing activities that help reduce stress on the other. A whole teaching team has followed me in this beautiful project. The students (and their parents) are enthusiastic about this project; it’s off to a great start. We will also create an “Inspiration Room” with them, equipped with everything needed to refocus, breathe, take a break, create…

Diving into artistic endeavors …

How did your journey into the world of art begin? Was there a specific moment that pushed you to explore this side of yourself?

La Corde a Linge
Strasbourg Acrylic

Self-taught, drawing has been a passion of mine since my earliest years. But it’s only been a year since I started exhibiting my works. It’s thanks to a colleague and friend from my high school. She asked me if I would be interested in exhibiting with her. I was immediately enthusiastic! We then launched into this adventure. We officially became “artist-authors” and had a very successful first exhibition. To connect our two universes, we chose to tell a story tracing an ideal day. Thanks to this friend, we were able to exhibit in a beautiful venue in the heart of downtown Strasbourg. And since then, I’ve never stopped. I can never thank her enough for this magnificent opportunity.

Does your background in biology influence your art? If so, how do you incorporate science into your artistic expression?

For now, in my artworks, there’s no specific link to the subject I teach, except of course that there are living beings: mainly humans and cats… and they are on Earth 😉

1001 stories of emotions

What themes or messages do you hope to convey through your artwork?

I love walking around Strasbourg, the city where I live, a very beautiful city. I capture scenes of life and put them on my canvases. I like it when there are pedestrians, cyclists, families, tourists… in short, life. I’m also a big fan of “Felis catus”, alias the cat (ah, there’s a professional bias)! You’ll often find them in my creations. And finally, I love painting artists on stage: actresses, singers, dancers… these different forms of art bring me a lot of emotions.

For me, it’s mainly about conveying an emotion. When people look at my paintings, smile, talk among themselves and say: “Look, we had a coffee there yesterday!”, they remember a good moment, that’s what I like. The same goes for cats, it almost automatically triggers a smile.

I enjoy authentic effect of my art

Can you describe the techniques or styles you prefer to work with in your artistic creations?

CAT Hedrale Watercolor

The artistic techniques I use are mainly acrylic paint, watercolor, and charcoal. I love all three for different reasons. I like acrylic because it allows for a play of texture and thickness that I further amplify with my choice of support. Indeed, besides traditional canvas, I like to paint on honeycomb or corrugated cardboard, wood with its irregularities, metal… This gives an authentic effect to the whole. Not to mention the ecological aspect of recycling, which is important to me.

When I use watercolor, I stick to more classic cotton paper supports, and I often seek greater precision than in my acrylic work.

Finally, I love charcoal and chalk for the spontaneity of the line.

Exhibitions are part of artist’ soul

I’ve seen that you have showcased your artwork in galleries, exhibitions .. Can you name the most important for you, and tell us some more about these experiences?

My first exhibition in downtown Strasbourg remains my most cherished memory because I shared it with a very good friend. Together, we took on a significant challenge! After that, I participated in various outdoor exhibitions, always in Strasbourg. The “Jardin des Créateurs” (Creators’ Garden) and then the “Quai des Arts” (Arts Quay). Soon, I will be exhibiting at the Contemporary Art Fair “Art inter.In Strasbourg” organized by the Myriam Booghs Art Gallery in Strasbourg, alongside many other artists. I’m looking forward to it!

Thanks to another very good friend, whom I met at “Ladies Run”, my running club, I am also considering applying for an exhibition at the “Arts Club of the Council of Europe” in Strasbourg! It would be wonderful to be able to exhibit my works on the theme of this city that I adore in such a prestigious venue.

Experiment with ways to convey the message – be in art or in teaching

Do you find any parallels between teaching and creating art? How do these two aspects of your life complement each other?

Yes, teaching and art have many things in common.

In both cases, you need to be patient and not be afraid to start or to start over. A lesson is a real creation with the aim of sharing knowledge. An artwork is a creation whose purpose is to share an emotion. A lesson needs to be constructed in a way that students can make it their own; you need to succeed in including your motivation for the subject, awaken interest, and give rise to questioning. An artwork is ultimately exactly the same thing.

Just as a teacher adapts their methods to reach different learners, an artist may experiment with various techniques to convey their message. The goal in both cases is to engage the audience – be it students or viewers – and to inspire them to think, feel, or see things in a new way.

Respect and understand others!

Which are the most important values for you and why? Which three words would you use to describe yourself and why?

Trail Finisher – 2023, 2024

The most important value for me is tolerance. It is, of course, a very important value to transmit in classrooms. Respecting others and their choices, trying to understand these choices even if they are not our own. And knowing how to accept them.

3 words to describe me would be:

Generous: I like to give, to share…

Empathetic: I physically feel what another person feels. Even if it’s sometimes hard, I think it helps me a lot in my job and in my art.

Enduring: whether it’s for a lesson, an artwork, or a race… I can spend a considerable number of hours on it without stopping.

What challenges have you encountered in pursuing both teaching and art? How did you overcome them?

Conciliating artistic activities and teaching requires organization. It’s also necessary to manage to set aside time for breaks. As I also do quite a bit of sport, at first my schedule had become very busy. It took me some time to find a balance, but today I think I’ve achieved it.

People inspire me!

Who or what inspires you in both your professional and personal life?

What inspires me are people! All these unknown people I come across, they all inspire me. They are part of my life, my paintings, my errands.

Regarding well-known individuals, on the artistic front, “Mark Tennant” is a contemporary painter artist whose talent I admire. He knows how to perfectly capture those moments of life where all kinds of emotions shine through, it’s incredible. On the scientific level, it’s “Stephen Hawking”. I’ve read all his books dedicated to the general public. The subject of the hypothetical formation of the Universe fascinates me as much as that of Life. But beyond his great intellectual qualities, his perseverance in the face of adversity and illness will remain an example for many. And finally, on the sporting front, it’s “Blandine l’Hirondel”: a woman, a doctor and an ultra-trail runner! Everything is in these four words.

Digital + AI can bring a lot to our societies

How do you envision the future of education and art in a world that is changing?

Education and art will inevitably change with the era of digital technology and artificial intelligence. I am among those who are quite favorable to these new technologies: if used in relevant ways, they can bring a lot to our societies. In my work, digital technology plays a very important role. In my art, not at all, perhaps it’s still a question of balance? However, I find that digital works can be of great richness, and I understand that many young and not-so-young artists sublimate their creativity through them.

Tolerance is my favorite value

Tell us more about your sport passion – running (I saw some impressive results on line – congrats!)

I practice running regularly, and I’m registered in a running club in Strasbourg: “Ladies Run”. As its name suggests, it’s a club where there are only girls! In this club, my favorite value reigns: tolerance. Indeed, here there’s no competition between the girls; everyone encourages others and everyone does their best. Some have the goal of running a 5km, others an 80km! Some want to run fast, others want to run for a long time, some want to run on flat terrain, others want to tackle elevation. What’s wonderful is that in the end, with this group, everyone finds what suits them.

When and how did you start?

I started running when my daughter was 4 years old, so that’s 13 years ago. It was a race for a charitable association. My daughter’s dance teacher at the time had asked me if I wanted to participate in this race. We had to run 3km. It seemed like the end of the world to me! It was very hard for me. I trained for it. And little by little, I continued… I went from 3 to 5 km. Then I joined this running club and progressed to 10km, then to half-marathon, then to marathon, then to trail running with my longest races being 50 km with 2000 m of elevation gain during the “Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB” in my region…

You constantly need to set your priorities

How do you combine your personal life, your art, your running and job? How do you balance your time between teaching, creating art, and personal life?

It’s true that when I read this question, I also wonder how I do it 😉

Jardin de createurs: First Outdoor exhibition, August 2024

In reality, everything didn’t happen at the same time…During my biology studies, I put aside my passion for drawing. At that time, I wasn’t doing any sports. At the beginning of my teaching career, I was mainly focused on that. Then my daughter arrived. She then became my priority, but I continued to work full-time. Only then came sports! You constantly need to find a balance, find your priorities, and understand what you really need… and what you’re capable of at a given moment. At the beginning of my career, I thought it was impossible to reconcile all of this; it took gaining some experience to realize it was possible. As for the artistic activity, I didn’t think I was capable of reconciling it with everything else. In fact, at first, I had reduced my sporting activity to balance everything, but I quickly realized that it was a mistake… I need this activity. So I revised my objectives in a way that I have time to do everything and find pleasure in it. For example, I’ve already run two marathons and two 50km trails with 2000m of elevation gain. For that, my training plan didn’t leave much room for anything else. Today, my running goals are less ambitious. I continue to train almost daily but differently, over shorter distances, and it gives me just as much satisfaction because now there’s also room for artistic creation.

Many faces of the same expression?

So many different faces of your personality – running, painting, teaching … do they collide, can you combine them, how do they intertwine?

I love teaching especially because the students bring me so much! They are our future and I have confidence in them. It reassures me to know that they are there; despite everything we might see in the media, I’m sure there is a better future possible.

I love all forms of art because they bring me strong emotions, and when I paint, I feel a great sense of peace.

I love running because it brings me great well-being.

Today, I couldn’t remove any of these activities from my life. But again, they appeared gradually, and it was necessary to find a balance with family life, which will always remain my priority.

My husband and daughter support me in my choices and help me find reasonable goals. Without them, I couldn’t do all this.

Just take the plunge!

To conclude: nothing is impossible, you have to dare to take the plunge. If I think back to my doubts: “I will never be able to keep 35 students attentive in front of me”, “I will never be able to run several km without stopping”, “My drawings will never please anyone”…

You have to believe in yourself, try… all you risk… is having to try several times 😉

Estelle Prégaldiny

ON INSTAGRAM

https://www.instagram.com/estelle_pregaldiny_art/profilecard/?igsh=MXYyY3dzMHpsYnFiYQ%3D%3D

ON FB

https://www.facebook.com/estelle.pregaldiny.art

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Foto: osebni arhiv sogovornice