All in Interview
What future projects are you most excited about, and are there any new directions or techniques you are eager to explore in your upcoming works?
Now I'm working quite a lot, works in abstract digital art. My latest series, Mars and Venus, is a sample of these works in the abstract. I am passionate about researching along this path in which all digital techniques are mixed to achieve shapes and colours that produce different sensations and emotions.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your artistic process, particularly when working with oil on canvas?
Being patient. Painting in transparent layers , I must allow everything to develop. If the process is rushed and if I try to do too much the colors become muddy and I loose the vibrant colors that I am trying to achieve.
Could you tell us about your current projects or pieces you are working on and what themes or messages you are exploring through them?
Currently I’m working on few art projects that will be held in Europe in collaboration with my Canadian partners. I continue to create artworks which are representation of women in Art.
Could you delve into your background a bit more and share what pivotal moments or influences led you to pursue a career as an artist? How have these initial inspirations continued to shape your work over time?
Growing up I never stopped dwelling on creative attitudes, as an adult I started going to an artist studio in Trastevere every Friday as I brought my studies ahead. Then in the summer time I went to London to study portraits at Wimbledon school of art. Where I found my style in drawing. My studies brought points to my natural attitude but what really made me think without thinking in art was university, where I studied architecture at Ludovico quaroni- la sapienza. There forms and colours and a different discipline in studying made me cooperate between antropic and analogical drawing.
Manuel, can you share with us what initially sparked your passion for photography, and how did you nurture this interest before formally pursuing it in 2009?
It all started when I was a little boy growing up in small town in central Mexico. I discovered boxes of old photographs that my mother had. I enjoyed looking at them and imagining the stories behind them. Then, my uncle lent me the first camera I ever held in my hands—an old 35mm Pentax camera—and at that moment, I knew that making art would help me search for my own voice, my own space in this immense world. Unfortunately, he asked for the camera back after a while and my economic reality did not give the space and time to nurture my interest in photography until much later in my life.
MICHAEL KAPHENGST "THE LINEARIST"
"The daily tasks, which I call processes, whether private at work or in free time, are different for every person, so they are progressive, but the fact is that every person is exposed to these processes.
We are all exposed to processes and it is linear."
Looking back on your own experiences and achievements, what advice would you give to emerging artists who aspire to reach similar levels of success and recognition in their careers?
My advice is to create work that you truly believe in. If you believe in and love what you do, other people will notice it. There are different ideas of what success is. In today’s banal world, it’s mostly measured by currency, but to me, there are more important aspects of art than the price tag, such as the ideas, quality, and philosophy behind the works. An artist who chooses to make art their path must first decide what it is about art that is most important to them and then give it their all in this direction, putting in 100%, nothing less than that.
Lucas van Eeghen lives and works in the outskirts of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His artistic activity mainly focuses in the field of painting, a discipline he approaches with originality, recovering the typical technique of traditional craftsmanship and by experimenting with personal and never conventional forms of three-dimensional expression.
Her artworks document the dynamics of inward journey towards recovering the obliterated memory, from the initial gaping voids and blank spaces present in the compositions, towards the airy, light, vibrant and open inspirational cosmic spaces, replete in meanings. From them, you can trace the trajectory of her inner artistic, spiritual and personal journey, which still continues. Her artworks are like palimpsests, and each viewer can focus on different layer.
Your approach to painting is characterized by bold brushstrokes and a free-form application of paint. How do these techniques help you express the 'mess' of the human experience?
As John Lennon says, "LIfe is the thing that happens when you are making other plans." Yep. We may think we are moving in one direction and then POP! something happens and we find ourselves in a completely different direction. Now, I'm sure that some people lay out their life plans and follow it to a tee. But for the rest of us, it's a mess. It's a beautiful, turgid ride- this Being Human.
Your artistic journey seems deeply intertwined with your personal experiences, particularly regarding mental health. How do you navigate the delicate balance between expressing your inner world through your art while also connecting with a diverse audience?
My artistic journey is intricately woven with personal experiences, especially those related to mental health. Navigating the balance between expressing my inner world and connecting emotionally with a diverse audience is crucial. I believe good art should have soul and evoke emotions, making use of varied themes like nostalgia, pop, and expressionism to ensure broader accessibility. By playing with colour, I aim to depict inner anxieties and spark emotions in viewers.
CHAITALI. V. PURUSHOTHAMAN is a Multi-Award-winning Successful Entrepreneur having multiple Careers as a WORLD RENOWNED Professional 25-Time International Award-Winning High Vibrational Energy shifting Positive Vastu Painter- Energizer, Feng shui Painter, Spiritual Painter, Vastu Consultant and Vastu Corrector for changing, balancing and shifting the Energy of space from low-Negative to high –Positive frequency, Vedic Astrologer, Illustrator, Fashion illustrator, Spiritual Aura Astro Astral Healer -Coach- Mentor, Psychic , Chakra Therapist Balancer, Therapist for children and Adults, Counsellor, Couple Counsellor and also a Stock Investor and has made an extraordinary mark in all her Fields.
What kind of artist do you ultimately see yourself as?
I see myself as myself, and I like this most of all in my work. I love creativity for the lack of restrictions and therefore I mix different types of art since I am a multipotential.In my case, it is impossible to talk about the final result.The more I create , the more new ideas I have Therefore, sometimes I can simply suspend my activities if I feel the need to do so.
Your work navigates between consciousness and the subconscious. How do you prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to capture these fleeting states in your photography?
I am strongly guided by my intuition both during photography and image processing. I don't think about the result I'm aiming for, but work in a processual and associative way, picking up on spontaneously emerging ideas and impulses. The creative process in my work mainly takes place during image processing. There, too, I intuitively access my collected image material and edit and change it by following spontaneous impulses. The result, i.e. the finished picture, is never planned, but always surprising for me, which makes and keeps the artistic work exciting for me.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your artistic career, and what do you consider your most rewarding achievement so far?
As a multiple -time immigrant, I've had to rebuild my life from the ground up three times in three years. The art markets in Russia, Spain, and the UK are vastly different from one another. Starting both personal and professional life from scratch , knocking on every door, is incredibly challenging. But as they say, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. It's crucial to have faith in yourself, your family, your talent, set goals, and strive towards them! In a few months, I'll be participating in an exhibition in Paris! It was my dream to return to this city, which holds so much significance for me, in a new and authentic - as an artist. My advice to all creatives in emigration - don't stop! Work, promote yourself, showcase your work, and keep moving forward!
Rania Abulhasan is a Kuwaiti mix media painter and illustrator. Her artwork is strongly influenced by her experience in fashion and product design: she emphasizes life and movement, using shapes and colours to express her ideas and communicate her message. Her soft delicate work bring a sense of calm and serenity to the viewer.
How has your artistic style evolved since you began your career, and what have been some pivotal moments in this evolution?
It seems to me that I myself have changed even more than my style. I have drawings from more than twenty years ago, when I lived in Tel Aviv and went to A-Yarkon Park to paint landscapes en plein air and I went to the embankment to paint the sea and sailboats. At the same time, I visited the studio of a sculptor - a new immigrant from France - where we painted nudes. My pencil drawings of those years were more academic - the Moscow school took its toll. A key moment in my career as an artist was moving to Safed. For me it was like a breath of fresh air. Come and see for yourself, the air in Galilee is really very fresh.
Your artwork is known for its abstract style, pittura metafisica, and maximalism. Can you describe what draws you to these particular styles and how you blend them to create your unique artistic Expression?
All three of these styles have something very important in common; unlike realism or photorealism, they have no limitations. I can leave the conventional ground and paint without limits what has already formed an image inside me. Pittura Metafisica best describes the result of a soul ianguage; it’s like dreaming on canvas.
Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach the inception of a new piece, and what are the key stages in your workflow?
I don't like to explain my work. I define myself as an intuitive artist. I accept that instinct surpasses knowledge. For me, conceptual understanding always follows the image. I see the works ready in my mind like in a picture - with details and with colors. All I do is materialize the image that has appeared. I do not improvise. Only when I see an image do I start working. In the process of creation, other ideas naturally follow. On certain occasions I leave the work in reality different from what I saw in my mind. And isn't that improvisation?
How did your experience as an actor, particularly your time at Shakespeare's Globe and Broadway, influence your approach to sculpting?
As an actor I was always interested in the inner world of the characters I played. My Swan Song was playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night, again on Broadway in 2014. I worked very hard to ‘get into his shoes’ and felt, most of all, his vulnerability whilst he presented such a stern image to the world. So many characters I played were dealing with Loss, Separation and Attachment. All this influenced my work as a sculptor. All the World’s a Stage and the figures that have emerged over the years have all come with their stories. They do not need a Theatrical Stage as such but certainly exist in the invisible contexts of their lives. They ask to be seen like an actor.
