MOLDOVA IS ME // Far from home – close to Moldova. Snejana Teclia invites Diaspora to discover country through art, stories

Settled in Norway, a visual artist and promoter of education through art, Snejana Teclia, returns home with two projects dedicated to Moldova, which she will present during Diaspora Days. The watercolor exhibition titled, Beyond the Threshold, and the book, The Seven Wonders of Moldova, are initiatives through which the compatriot aims to bring the Diaspora closer to the cultural values and beauty of her native places.

More than 10 years ago, Snejana Teclia ruled to follow her academic dream of studying art beyond the country’s borders. After graduating from the College of Medicine, she emigrated to Norway to apply to the Drammen campus of the University of South-Eastern Norway, majoring in Visual Communication. Today, Snejana teaches at the same higher education institution, runs a visual art association and a Romanian language school for Moldovan children settled in Norway.

The intention to study abroad was not the only reason she wanted to move to Norway. Snejana’s mother had been living there for more years and another dream of the young woman was to be able to live closer to her family. The young woman went abroad together with her husband. Snejana says that the presence of her loved ones was a real advantage and made it easier to adapt to a foreign country. She is trying to turn the experience gained abroad into projects for the community of Moldovans living outside the country.

“I left to continue my studies and to develop professionally in education and art. This journey gave me the opportunity to grow in a stable environment and to gather experience that I now put at the service of our community in the Diaspora. In this way, I feel that I represent Moldova beyond its borders through my work, through cultural and educational projects, and through the image that we build together,” she said.

Snejana stays connected to national values also thanks to the community of Romanians and Moldovans from Norway. Gradually, the art workshops she organized turned into a visual art association that now brings together Moldovan children from all over Norway for regular events and activities.

“I wanted to organize a Christmas performance through which we could offer the children of our community a stage where they could experience the childhood moments of their parents.”

The Nordic Black Theatre from Oslo accepted Snejana’s idea, and on the day of the performance hundreds of parents and children came to celebrate Moldovan culture, language, traditional costume and customs.

“At one point, there was not a single free seat left. The hall was packed, and parents could no longer get in. That’s when I realized there is a real need for regular activities, not just occasional ones,” the young woman recalls.

Snejana is also the founder of the Romanian language school “Căsuța Licuriciului” (“The Little Firefly House”). The school’s activities are divided into two categories: the actual lessons, during which Moldovan children of Oslo learn or improve their Romanian and events dedicated to national holidays. Classes take place every Saturday and are taught on a voluntary basis by Snejana and another teacher born in Moldova, whom lives in Norway now.

“There is the Little Fireflies group and the Big Fireflies group. Each has a schedule adapted to the children’s age and level. We also mark the most important holidays in the calendar: Mărțișor (the spring trinket celebration), Easter, Children’s Day and many others. In this way, we also offer families who have a busier schedule or live further away the possibility to participate in our events at least occasionally. These activities are open to all those who identify with what we do,” says Snejana.

Although more and more things now tie her to Norway, Snejana says she feels the need to return more and more often to Moldova.

The exhibition, Beyond the Threshold, which will be presented to the wider public of Moldova during the Diaspora Days, brings together works that reflect past and present, roots and new beginnings, the places we come from and those that shape us.

“The exhibition brings together ten works done in watercolor on premium Fabriano paper. The landscapes and compositions reflect memories, emotions and personal experiences, inspired by love for Moldova and by a deep connection with my native places,” Snejana Teclia told MOLDPRES.

In addition to the exhibition, the artist is also preparing the launch of the book, The Seven Wonders of Moldova.

“It is a workbook for those who want to discover Moldova, visit interesting places and find, step by step, hidden treasures of our heritage. The project is still in the process of being finalized and the last finishing touches are underway,” the artist noted.

She believes that the Diaspora can have an important role in the country’s development through involvement, ideas and projects.

“We feel that Moldova is close to us and that we can contribute to its development through the experience we have gained here, through volunteering and through joint projects. I believe it is a two-way dialogue, and I am glad that more and more members of the community are discovering that there are clear and transparent ways in which they can contribute to the development of Moldova. I look at Moldova with affection, for everything that connects me to it, and with responsibility, because I know that the country’s transformation also depends on our involvement, of those from the Diaspora. Independence is not just a date in the calendar, but a continuous process. Today, I see more active communities, strong cultural initiatives and a more open dialogue with the Diaspora. It is not a linear path, but the direction is clearer than a few years ago and I believe this journey is leading us towards an increasingly mature society,” Snejana Teclia told MOLDPRES.

Moldovans at home and abroad are invited to take part, during between August 3-21, in Diaspora Days, a string of events dedicated to Moldovan communities abroad and to their contribution to the development of Moldova. The programme will include the Diaspora Forum, workshops, hikes an Open Doors Day in public institutions, as well as more cultural and tourist activities. The events aim to create a space for dialogue between authorities, Diaspora citizens and local communities, in order to discuss the experiences gained abroad and the ways they can contribute to the country’s development.