'Artists can improve the world and encourage others for being the best and most excellent version of themselves.'
Julia Kempa is a figurative artist working from her studio in Poland. She decided on being an artist at a very young age, and has pursued that dream with determination and simply breathtaking results.
Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
Many people may find this surprising but I really enjoy listening to very minimalistic music while I paint, which is a huge contradiction toward my painting style in general. But I like to keep my mind very peaceful and balanced when I have to add millions of details in the canvas for 8 hours per day – it helps me to improve my productivity. Although, I always wanted to listen classical music but sadly it never worked on me such well during painting process.
Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this/ keep a balance?
It’s always hard to answer this type of question but I try to simply take care of my free time and view myself as a best friend. I like to work for many hours per day and sometimes it last for a few days straight but if I’ll not make a break for a day, it can lead to fast burnout. Sometimes it’s just better to go and hang out with your friends, practice yoga or just find another interests which could help you to stay social.
Describe a moment you had an epiphany concerning your creative life.
It may sound a little ludicrous but this “epiphany” came to me when I tried to play the role of God. I had a period in my life in which I was dealing with insomnia and sleeping problems. I decided to create a serie of paintings about this but I didn’t know how to depict this. I was doing plenty of sketches and eventually all of them weren’t good enough. But there was a another sleepless night during, as always, I was laying on the bed and looking straight into my ceiling and I thought: “How ridiculous I have to look for a God at the moment…?”. I just felt so miserable that I had to ask this question inside my head and suddenly I saw this view in my head. This view of me, laying down completely motionless on the bed. And since that moment I knew that it will be a good idea for the painting.
What is your favourite/ least favourite part of the creative process?
My favourite part has always been being in the middle of work, taking a break and looking at the painting from a distance. It’s like a moment of a silent contemplation when you have to analyse what you’ve done so far and what’s still ahead of you. The reason why it’s my favourite part is the fact that I can in fully appreciate my amount of work included into the painting process – I see the fruitful effects and probably some details which I always have to improve but the key is to always keep a critical eye on your art, no matter what. Actually, I have one pretty interesting tip for all other artists. Sometimes we take a look at our work and there is something not right, it’s like a puzzle which is still missing. And my advice is to take a canvas and see this through the mirror. It will show the reflection of it in a different perspective and it helps the eye to catch some mistakes which were invisible for you.
How has your style evolved and what contributed to the changes?
For the first 2 years during my studies I was focused on improving my painting technique and understanding the complexity between light and colors. When this first step was behind me, I was more focused on shaping the narration in my art which I would like to share with people. I believe that an excellent hyperrealism and great topic combined together can create profound impression on the viewer and that’s a stage which I am still working on. I think that the major thing on which I should be focused on is choosing a good, original theme for my art so I’ll be easier recognized in artistic environment and that’s what I would suggest to all artists.
Describe an obstacle you have faced and how did you overcome it.
I think that this "obstacle” I would name as "challenge”. A year ago I had to create multiple paintings, huge paintings during barely couple months. I wasn’t sure if I can overcome this because I knew that it demanded a huge amount of dedication and self-discipline. But at the same time I felt that it’s something what could be my major achievement in the future and I decided to take this risk. I succeeded and I painted even more works than I thought I was able to. Sometimes we all feel that there is an enormous potential inside us but we keep it locked because we are not sure if we will find enough energy to use it. But I believe that we all are capable of doing things which beyond our limits. It’s just a matter of belief.
If you could time travel, what advice would you give the younger you, regarding pursuing your artmaking?
I think that I would definitely give my younger self advice of not trying to please others. I think that it’s something what many people struggle with and it was my huge difficulty and a weak point in the past. I’ve learnt a lot from my experiences and I would like to always encourage people of staying good and proud of who you are. As long as you are fighting for good, don’t hurt others and take care of yourself – you are marvelous human being.
What do you hope to convey through your work?
I always try to create a dialogue between me and the viewer through my paintings. All my works are like a story, subtly presented by some elements, composition and colors. I like when the viewer interprets a work subjectively but also can understand the message hidden behind the visual side. I always speak about insomnia and anxiety so if anyone looking at my paintings says: “I can relate” – that’s always the best answer which I can get.
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