Interview with Selma Karlsdottir
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, and raised in Sweden and Germany, Selma Karlsdottir is a versatile artist with a formal background in theatre tailoring, metal craft making, jewellery design, painting (acrylic, aquarelle, and oil), photography, web design, and art history. She holds a degree (cum laude) in Interior Design from Istituto Marangoni and has lived in seven different European countries in Europe, influencing her diverse and captivating works.
Artistic Style
Selma's art merges abstract and realism, focusing on captivating women. Influenced by ascension meditations, Akashic Records, she uses acrylics, spray paint, gold leaf to translate divine moments. Inspired by Caravaggio, she plays with light, shadow for emotional depth. Gold symbolizes enlightenment, appears often to highlight beauty, significance. Selma's work delves into human spirit, inviting introspection, exploration of hidden realms. Her art encourages contemplation, self-discovery beyond the physical realm.
Artistic Journey
Selma's journey in art began at a young age, inspired by her family's passion for creativity. With the guidance of a dedicated art teacher during her teenage years, she honed her skills and garnered awards. Despite working as an interior designer in London for over a decade, Selma's love for fine arts continued to burn brightly. Recently, she made the bold decision to relocate to Spain, reaffirming her dedication to her art and embarking on a new chapter in her artistic career.
Growing up in a creatively nurturing family and receiving the support of a dedicated art teacher, how do you think these early influences specifically molded your unique artistic voice? Can you delve into particular moments or teachings that have had a lasting impact on your development as an artist?
Art and spirituality have always been present in my life. I grew up in a family that’s always painted, sketched and created decorative objects or designed, professionally and as a hobby. During family get-togethers when I was little, it was common for the women to be reading each other's futures in coffee cups and tarot cards. My grandmother was especially gifted in reading from the coffee cup. And as a tradition, my mother will read our fortune for the coming year each New Year in a large spread using her favorite Cartomancy deck which belonged to her beloved twin sister who passed away.
When I was in my teen years, I had a book about the interpretation of dreams and I often read the tarot cards for my friends. I have better dream books and more card decks today. I bought my first pendulum and crystals when I was a teenager and my collection of books were about different artists or art epoques. I also remember my mother teaching me how to realistically paint an apple and other still life. She was always very skilled with still life and animals. For a while she also built model ships. Each tiny plank of wood and nail was a miniature of its original.
In my later years I started to learn several healing modalities and I do regular Quantum and 5D healing sessions with clients today. So art and spiritual practices have always intertwined in my life. They are extensions of each other and constantly influence each other. This becomes apparent in my art where I combine art and spirituality in each piece that holds the message of the spiritual and emotional healing journey of women.
Having established a diverse career in interior design, web design, and jewelry design, what was the philosophical and emotional impetus behind your decision to pivot exclusively towards painting? How do the principles and aesthetics from your design background manifest in the fine art pieces you create today?
Painting has always been a passion of mine. Many of my family members and relatives from my mothers side are creative and either work in the creative field, or paint as a hobby. One of my aunts, who passed away many years ago, painted, made traditional Icelandic dolls that she sold in her shop in Reykjavik, she wrote a beautiful book about the fairy folk of Iceland with illustrations that she painted and finally she owned a fashion company that designed and made uniforms. Another aunt is an artist and art school teacher. My sister works as a 3d modeler and my mother paints as a hobby.
When I was a teenager I had an art teacher that strongly believed in my potential as an artist. She sent my works to various competitions and I won several of them. She also sent in my application to an art college, but I didn't follow through. Back then, the general opinion of artists was that they were poor and would never become known until after their death. This opinion still persists with many today. So, working as an artist was not an option and I looked for more “realistic” artistic solutions. Like working as a tailor at the National Theater, designing and creating jewelry and becoming an interior designer. In addition I like working with my hands in general and you’ll sometimes find me renovating or building a simple piece of furniture or home decoration solution.
But something was always missing. Working solely based on client requests and budget requirements never felt fulfilling enough. After a while I was simply missing the component that fulfills me and gives my work true meaning. When I paint I feel complete and whole. I paint to express what I believe in and who I am as a person, as a healer and as an artist. My art is an extension of my healing work. And this finally drove me to giving up on my previous career path, change my beliefs about the life of an artist and devote myself fully to my new path.
But I do not regret my journey, in fact I absolutely love and celebrate each experience that I have had so far. My experience has shaped me into the person that I have become and my knowledge in various fields will inevitably form part of my overall creation process. My background as an interior designer will influence my choice of colors and composition and if or when I work with different materials like metal, fabric or wood, then my experiences and various skills will have an impact or give me ideas I might not have otherwise.
With a life enriched by experiences in seven different countries and formative years in Iceland, Sweden, and Germany, how do you integrate these varied cultural narratives into your artwork? Can you provide examples of specific cultural elements or philosophies from these places that are woven into your artistic expressions?
I don’t normally use cultural elements from my background in my works. In some cases though, like the African heritage of the woman in my painting “STRONGER”, I’ve chosen her because she reminds me of the many strong and fierce people that I’ve met. Her historical and ancestral background has molded her into the fierce person she is today. And this is true for so many people of various cultural backgrounds that I have met. I think that the influences of my varied background manifests in a more subtle way. When you live in different places and countries that all have very different and distinct cultural elements and traditions, some of it rubs off on you and shapes you. My personality is therefore not shaped by a specific country or place, but by many. And this will inevitably translate into anything that I do, including my art.
Your artwork delves deeply into complex spiritual concepts such as the Akashic Records and the 5th dimension. How do you translate these abstract, mystical ideas into tangible visual forms? Can you discuss the process and challenges of embodying such esoteric themes within your paintings, perhaps highlighting a specific piece?
Trying to very specifically depict any vibrational state that is higher than our visible and tactile 3rd dimensional manifestations can only be done through intent and expression. This means that my intention or frequency code while painting will always be embedded into the piece. This intention and the expression of the subject can then be felt by the person that looks upon the painting in a state of introspection. Some subjects, while they remain abstract in their setting and environment, derive directly from my experiences during meditation.
For example, when I visit my Akashic Records and ask to be shown any particular record, I can see myself flying through this space, led by my guide. My painting “FLY ME TO THE TRUTH” is a depiction of my journey through my Akashic Records. The painting “THANK YOU SILENCE” is an abstract representation of the energies that I channel during my healing sessions with clients (the gold background) and the emotional release and calm that occurs as an effect of the healing frequencies (blue elements and water).
In exploring the profound themes of female internal and spiritual healing, how do you navigate the delicate balance between personal introspection and universal resonance in your portraits? What techniques or symbolic elements do you employ to evoke the intricate layers of emotional and spiritual transformation in your subjects?
All of my art is channeled or inspired through meditation or introspection. It’s during my quiet moments that inspiration to paint is born and my choice of subject, emotional state and materials derive from here. I don’t try to express anything through symbols or techniques that portray a very specific meaning. Meaning comes from the emotional resonance of the viewer and which memories are awakened within them. The universal resonance is a given since everyone can resonate with an emotional and spiritual process, whether that person is spiritual or not. It’s enough to have lived life and gone through various trials or successes to be able to resonate in our own personal ways.
Your choice of diverse materials, including oil, acrylics, spray paint, and gold leaf, plays a significant role in your artwork. How do you determine which medium to use for a particular concept or piece, and in what ways do these materials enhance the multi-dimensional depth and spiritual essence of your work?
Gold paint, spray paint or gold leaf are absolutely essential as gold carries the frequency of enlightenment and unconditional love. The overall combination of mediums that I use in each piece come through inspiration. I do not expressively decide on anything until inspiration guides me toward the canvas. I might have an idea about what I want to paint, but I allow myself to flow freely and pick my colors and medium freely throughout the process. And each medium lends to create different expressions. With acrylics I can work in large bold strokes with a brush or palette knife and experiment with contemporary structures and patterns. Working with acrylics is fast, fun and very dynamic. The natural pigments in oil reflect the light differently than acrylics which are synthetic and it really allows me as an artist to capture greater depth and details.
I’ve always been extremely intuition and inspiration driven. And because of it, I’ll often purchase colors and materials with the idea of wanting to use them, but never knowing when or how. It’s a very fun and exciting creative process that is completely free of rules or restrictions.
Gold frequently appears in your art, symbolizing enlightenment and spiritual growth. Can you elaborate on the philosophical and aesthetic reasons for its recurrent use? How do you ensure that this element not only highlights the divine light within your subjects but also integrates seamlessly into the overall narrative of your paintings?
Each color that our eyes can perceive is the visual expression of a frequency, a wavelength. For those that are familiar with our chakras and aura will know that each energy field in our bodies carries a frequency, which translates into a color. Gold has the highest energy frequency of all colors and it’s the color that I channel during my healing sessions. People will see the color gold embracing their energy body before even knowing that this is what I’m channeling. I’ve always felt extremely drawn to this color, long before I even knew about energy healing. I absolutely adore the works of Gustav Klimt and all of his elements of gold. I love Art Nouveau especially when there are intricate details in gold, I decorate my home with subtle details in gold, white and grounded neutrals. Gold carries within itself all frequencies of higher positive emotional states like love, compassion and grace. It’s uplifting and gazing upon it nurtures our souls.
How I integrate gold into my pieces actually depends on the intention of the painting. In “THANK YOU SILENCE” I knew that the gold element had to be very impactful and dominant, because this is how this frequency is perceived by my healing clients. In pieces where the subject or woman is more withdrawn, introspective or just coming out of a darker place, gold will be more subtle to depict that while the light is not prevalent, it never goes away. Love is always within reach.
You describe your art as a conduit to the viewer's inner wisdom and intuition. Can you share poignant examples of viewer reactions or interactions that validate this intention? How do these experiences shape your understanding of the relationship between art, self-discovery, and spiritual exploration?
While my art is a reflection of my spiritual and emotional experiences, both personal and through my clients. Everyone who looks upon my art can relate in their own way. No matter what our outer world looks like, where we come from, where we have been and what our dreams and aspirations are, we all share the same emotions. When someone looks upon one of my paintings that expresses something that they can recognize in themselves or who they wish they were, I can see a range of beautiful emotions manifest in their gaze or smile. We as human beings are constantly discovering ourselves through various art forms, be it a song or a movie that touches us deeply or brings out joy or sadness in us. Or a well designed space, item or clothing that we can identify ourselves with. Art is always an expression of both the creator and the viewer and the creative expression that speaks to us personally says everything about our inner spiritual journey, wisdom and how our inner world reflects outward to this third dimensional reality.
Your meditation practices and mystical experiences play a crucial role in your creative process. Can you provide an in-depth look at how these spiritual practices influence your day-to-day artistic routine and creative decisions? How do you translate the ephemeral nature of these experiences into the permanence of your art?
I work daily with meditations, manifestation techniques, or practice ascension healing modalities on myself and clients. It forms such a big part of who I am as a person and the thoughts that occupy my mind on a daily basis. My paintings are an extension of my inner world, my soul journey and the healing journey of my clients. I work mostly with women and together we work on releasing undesired patterns while striving toward an inner mind of peace and compassion, which will mirror out into their outer world. The healing process which involves walking through the full emotional spectrum of a human being is crucial for the growth of any person and it’s such a beautiful and humble process. My works are a reflection of this profound yet humble journey.
As you continue to evolve both personally and artistically, what new themes or projects are you eager to explore? How do you envision your future work contributing to and interacting with broader conversations about spirituality, self-discovery, and the human experience?
I haven’t planned any other spiritual topics right now, but I think that my topics will always revolve around the ascension and awakening process. Of remembering who we are on a higher level and how this manifests into your lives and our priorities and experiences. Evolving as a human being will change how you perceive yourself, the world around you and how you act or react to various circumstances. I’m excited to see how my philosophies will interpret into my art.
In terms of materials and techniques, I’m also considering other background materials, perhaps painting on wood, metal or handmade paper. And I’m currently exploring some techniques using aquarelle, translucent acrylics and charcoal.
