Your images contain different stories, please tell us about how narrative and communicating personal feelings through art is important.
I believe that art should resonate. A narrative is a very strong tool to evoke strong emotions and thoughts. Context is everything. A simple line can be so monumental in its simplicity. My approach is quite autobiographical. Im trying to tap into a deep raw emotional state – and almost squeeze it out of me in a way that lets the observer feel it, and hopefully resonate.
Why has reduction, minimalism and subtraction become a symbol or evidence of more for you?
My journey from maximalism to minimalism signifies my maturity as an artist and as a human being. There was a time I thought I needed to impress with my dazzling techniques and ideas – but it left me feeling overworked and exhausted without any real sense of accomplishment. One day, as I was polishing a piece that was over embellished, I asked myself ‘is this necessary here’? and I started to subtract details for the piece. That started a brand new process of elimination of the unnecessary.
How liberating it was to rid myself of the excess –I felt like a hortor – getting rid of years of years of piled up junk. I embarked on a search that would examine opulence vs. authenticity, and sure enough my focus from making pretty things shifted aside and made way for a more real approach. Suddenly, I realized that underneath all those layers, there laid hidden – my voice. So I guess you could say that minimalism taught me how important it is to accurate yourself – because it is just so much more interesting!
Koketit style lends itself beautifully well to the illustrative short film genre. Have you any desires to use new technologies to extend the duration of your visual voice? Or, have you yet?
I am always very eager and open to exploring new genres, ideas and mediums. I truly believe in the marriage between art and technology. I am now especially interested in getting into NFTs and Crypto art. It’s the future.
I understand that liberation from self restraint and critical judgments become necessary for your process, but not all creatives have this ability to transcend. Where do you think your inner strength and confidence come from?
Firstly, from a very young age, I have been groomed by my family to acknowledge and nourish my artistic talents. I come from a very artistic background, and that kind of support gave me the foundation for the self-confidence I needed to believe in myself. Not everyone has that. But even if so, that is not enough. It took me years and years of hard work and practice to achieve this mindset. I fell many times and learned from those mistakes like a true cliché.
You return to key subjects which I would like to explore the meanings of, such being: clouds, beaches, and the female body. What do each signify?
In ‘The world is my canvas’ series, I explore how by adding a few lines, I can change completely an already existing narrative. I also try to see beyond the obvious of exposing human shapes in nature and inanimate objects. I use these elements to mirror my deepest emotions which I manifest through the female body figure. The duality between the figure and the background tell a story in an unexpected and surprising way – which evokes an exciting emotion. What they signify, that I leave to the observer to decipher. I’m just exposing the unseen. To me it’s about the art of seeing.
Fashion illustration continues to find its place in your gesture which is charming. What is your relationship to fashion now, and does it still motivate your work?
I think I will always be fascinated with Fashion. It was my first love. The first world I wished to belong to and the medium by which I began to explore my creativity. There was a time I wanted to become a fashion designer but eventually I found that the practical aspects of that world were too confining for me. I love to play in the fashion context – and the playfulness of the world serves as a fun canvas for my art.
You break the form of images by changing whole people into just a face, or by creating a new idea far beyond the limits of what existed as reference beneath, and such daring demonstrates a remarkable freedom of thought. You may have never heard this before but your work can be defined as iconoclastic, or a brand of stylish girl graffiti. Do you have a hidden rebellious streak?
If I am then not by principle. I’m just following my inner voice and that might not necessarily conform with everyone else. I really really really value originality. If that makes me a rebel then sure, ok – Im a rebel. It’s like the old saying ‘if loving you is wrong then I don’t want to be right’. Im not actively trying to rebel – I’m just following the beat of my own drum. And by the way – I strongly recommend it.
It can be quite scary to let go of judgment. Nonetheless, only by neglecting certain notions I had about myself, could I really get to know the real me and therefore become an artist. And I’m only starting to learn – this is a never-ending process that will go on till I die and maybe after
Social media has had a positive impact on your creative life, do you think the Metaverse will have the same positive capability? As an aside, if you had to design your avatar what would it resemble?
I am so excited about the Metaverse and the opportunities it’s going to open for the art world. As an artist I am exploring all the ways I can participate in this new and exciting world and I suggest my fellow artists do the same. This is OUR time now. Im excited about creating my first NFT project which will drop soon and from then on – who knows what kind of adventures await.
All images courtesy of Koketit, shared with permission
