Artists can help people raise their voices by breaking taboos.’
Claudia Kaak is a figurative artist based in Germany. She is wholly concerned with observing human nature, the inner workings of the mind and emotional responses. Claudia uses her art practice to explore meaning in her personal life, and to develop connections which may elicit empathetic responses to the themes within her bold and moving pieces.
Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
I can't work in silence. I always watch a movie or documentary, interviews or podcasts at the same time or listen to music. Depending on my mood.
What is your favourite/ least favourite part of the creative process?
I love it to set the first brushwork at my canvas! It's very exciting to me! And I enjoy to see the stages of changing during my process. When the painting gets more depth. I hate to do "mistakes" because I doubt on myself and often I really think I am not able to paint anymore. But most of the time these paintings are the best.
Do you have a personal mantra or quote which serves to motivate you?
I paint what I believe in and I don't care what other people say. I try to be true to myself. I protect my work and keep my name clear. I don't make compromises. I am concerned with doing good work and being ready to fail.
Nature versus nuture- do you believe you have inherited abilities from creative parents, do you have creative siblings? Can you identify environmental factors or influences which led to your choices or directions? Every work has an autobiographical and social narrative which focuses on my childhood experiences but also as a mother of two wonderful children. My artwork deals with existential feelings, the inner strife of human beings and the extreme unlimited emotional and physical experience of pain but also the complete reverse. My intention is to break taboo and allow emotional disorder to seep through the artwork.
What do you hope to convey through your work?
My work deals with existential feelings, the inner strife of human beings, deep emotions to the extreme limit of pain but also the complete reversal. I want to break the taboo to speak about and show feelings and emotional disorder. But I also want to give a spark of hope.
Follow Claudia!
@claudiakaak