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How did your artistic journey begin? Wie begann deine künstlerische Reise?

Always creative in a wide variety of crafts and handicrafts, I started in 2011 to try to see if I would find myself in painting as well and first attended the art school in Neuss. Participation in courses at the adult education centre followed, while at the same time I also attended various painting workshops and seminars with established, well-known artists. Over the years, I got to know many techniques, materials and procedures that have been used in my creative style ever since.
Immer schon kreativ in den verschiedensten Handwerks- und Handarbeitssparten, startete ich in 2011 den Versuch, ob ich mich in der Malerei ebenso wiederfinden würde und besuchte zunächst die Kunstschule in Neuss. Die Teilnahme an Kursen in der Volkshochschule folgte, während ich gleichzeitig auch diverse Malworkshops und Seminare bei etablierten, namhaften Künstlerinnen und Künstlern belegte. So lernte ich im Laufe der Jahre viele Techniken, Materialien und Verfahrensweisen kennen, die seitdem in meiner Schaffensweise Anwendung finden.

Where do you draw inspiration for your abstract works? Woher nimmst du die Inspiration für deine abstrakten Werke?
Of course, I observe the latest trends and try to approach them in my own way and with the help of my experience, simply by trying out whether there is a satisfactory result for me.
On the other hand, I also give free rein to my own intuition by experimentally setting out to create a basis with a wide variety of structure-forming materials from nature and everyday life, with which I then compose a coherent work for me using my selected acrylic paints, inks, pigments, various pens, etc. It pleases me every time again to go a path that is exciting and unknown even for me until the completion of the picture and to be surprised at what is possible!
Natürlich beobachte ich die neuesten Trends und versuche mich diesen auf meine Weise und unter Zuhilfenahme meiner Erfahrungen zu nähern, indem ich einfach ausprobiere, ob ein für mich zufrieden stellendes Ergebnis daraus erfolgt.
Andererseits lasse ich auch meiner eigenen Intuition freien Lauf, indem ich mich experimentell auf den Weg mache, mit den verschiedensten Struktur bildenden Materialien aus Natur und Alltäglichem eine Grundlage zu schaffen, mit der ich dann unter Anwendung meiner ausgewählten Acrylfarben, Tuschen, Pigmenten, diversen Stiften etc. ein für mich stimmiges Werk komponiere. Es erfreut mich jedes Mal erneut, einen selbst für mich spannenden und unbekannten Weg bis zur Fertigstellung des Bildes zu gehen und überrascht zu sein, was möglich ist!

How do you select the colors, shapes, and textures for your pieces? Wie wählen Sie die Farben, Formen und Texturen für Ihre Stücke aus?
In doing so, I follow my own intuition and probably also my prevailing state of mind at the time. In fact, I pick up a blank canvas and then decide according to a technique that suits the size of the existing canvas and my mood. This can mean working with structure-forming materials, but also things to create collages. Over time, I realized that I prefer strong colors such as red, yellow, green and blue tones and their mixtures to restrained colors such as pastel shades and white. I like to pay attention to the interplay of complementary colors.
Dabei folge ich meiner eigenen Intuition und vermutlich auch meinem zu dem Zeitpunkt vorherrschenden  Gemütszustand/meiner Lust und Laune. Tatsächlich nehme ich eine leere Leinwand zur Hand und entscheide dann, sowohl nach einer zur Größe der vorhandenen Leinwand und meiner Stimmung passenden Technik. Das kann das Arbeiten mit Struktur bildenden Materialien, aber auch Dingen zur Erstellung von Collagen bedeuten. Erkannt habe ich im Laufe der Zeit, dass ich kräftige Farben wie Rot- Gelb- Grün- und Blautöne und deren Mischungen den zurückhaltenden Farben wie Pastelltöne und Weiß vorziehe. Gerne achte ich auf das Zusammenspiel von Komplementärfarben.

What techniques do you use to create your works? Welche Techniken verwendest du, um deine Werke zu schaffen?
On the one hand, it depends on my creativity and intuition which technique, colors and materials I choose, but on the other hand also on the topics that I give to the participants of my painting courses at the adult education Center where I teach. Because before I announce the motto of the semester or semester section, I always prepare examples as illustrative material for my painting students, the results of which of course also complement my own portfolio of works.
Since my style of painting corresponds to the motto "diversity", I naturally try to follow it and use a wide variety of techniques, materials and colors, which always result in new, also for me exciting results in the areas of representational, figurative, abstract, experimental painting.
Einerseits hängt es von meiner dann gerade vorherrschenden Kreativität und Intuition ab, für welche Technik, Farben und Materialien ich mich entscheide,  andererseits aber auch von den Themen, die ich den Teilnehmern meiner Malkurse bei der Volkshochschule, an der ich unterrichte, vorgebe. Denn bevor ich das Motto des Semesters oder Semesterabschnitts bekannt gebe, bereite ich grundsätzlich Beispiele als Anschauungsmaterial für meine Malschüler vor, deren Ergebnisse natürlich auch mein eigenes Portfolio an Werken ergänzen.
Da mein Stil in der Malerei dem Motto "Vielfalt" entspricht, versuche ich natürlich, diesem zu folgen und die verschiedensten Techniken, Materialien und Farben zu nutzen, woraus immer wieder neue, für mich spannende Ergebnisse in den Bereichen gegenständliche, figurative, abstrakte, experimentelle Malerei entstehen.

Do you identify with any particular artistic movement or style? Identifizierst du dich mit einer bestimmten künstlerischen Strömung oder einem bestimmten Stil?
As already mentioned, I follow the trends in painting, but I don't identify with a specific genre, but go my way of diversity with conviction. My curiosity about the manifold possibilities in the painterly mode of expression leads me not to close myself off, but rather to be open to experiments at any time and to be guided by my own ideas and intuitions.
Wie schon erwähnt, verfolge ich die Trends in der Malerei, identifiziere mich aber nicht mit einem speziellen Genre, sondern gehe mit Überzeugung meinen Weg der Vielfalt. Meine Neugier auf die mannigfachen Möglichkeiten in der malerischen Ausdrucksweise führt dazu, mich nicht zu verschließen, sondern vielmehr jederzeit offen zu sein für Experimente und sich von den eigenen Ideen und Intuitionen leiten zu lassen.

Do you follow a structured plan in your creative process, or are you guided by instinct? Verfolgen Sie in Ihrem kreativen Prozess einen strukturierten Plan oder lassen Sie sich von Ihrem Instinkt leiten?
It happens that even before the process begins, I have come up with a plan of which materials I will use to create the basis for my work and which colors I will then use to make it a coherent whole. Most of the time, however, things turn out differently and I follow my intuition or even coincidence in the course of further elaboration and the work develops in a hitherto unplanned, surprising direction, whereby exactly then more and more ideas for the further development of the work come to me and I include them until a result that is satisfactory for me.
Es kommt vor, dass ich mir noch vor Beginn des Prozesses einen Plan zurecht gelegt habe, mit welchen Materialien ich die Grundlage für mein Werk schaffe und welche Farben ich anschließend verwende, um es zu einem schlüssigen Ganzen werden zu lassen. Meistens kommt es dann aber doch anders und ich folge im Laufe der weiteren Ausarbeitung meiner Intuition oder sogar dem Zufall und die Arbeit entwickelt sich in eine bis dahin nicht geplante, überraschende Richtung, wobei mir genau dann immer mehr Ideen für die weitere Entwicklung des Werkes kommen und ich diese mit einbeziehe bis zu einem für mich zufrieden stellenden Ergebnis.

What message do you aim to convey through your artworks? Welche Botschaft möchten Sie mit Ihren Kunstwerken vermitteln?
I would like to invite the viewers of my works to immerse themselves in my representations, to follow my intended or unplanned message by means of the titles given to the work, or to make their own interpretations, which may also open up an exciting and interesting perspective for me. If I achieve that people are interested in my art and exchange ideas about it, exactly what art is supposed to achieve is achieved - namely dialogue!
Gerne möchte ich die Betrachter meiner Werke einladen, einzutauchen in meine Darstellungen, anhand meiner dem Werk gegebenen Titel meiner beabsichtigten oder ungeplanten Botschaft zu folgen, oder eigene Interpretationen anzustellen, was ggf. auch für mich eine spannende und interessante Sichtweise eröffnet. Wenn ich erreiche, dass sich Menschen für meine Kunst interessieren und sich darüber austauschen, ist genau das erreicht, was Kunst bewirken soll - nämlich den Dialog!  

What are your aspirations as an abstract artist? Was sind deine Bestrebungen als abstrakte Künstlerin?
Of course, it is my goal to present my art to a wide audience and to arouse interest in my creative method, which is not assigned to a single genre, and to invite them to immerse themselves in my world of "diversity".
Natürlich ist es mein Ziel, meine  Kunst einem breiten Publikum vorzustellen und das Interesse an meiner, nicht einem einzigen Genre zugeordneten, Schaffensweise zu wecken und sie einzuladen, einzutauchen in meine Welt der "Vielfalt".

Do you have any upcoming projects or dreams you’d like to share? Hast du bevorstehende 

Projekte oder Träume, die du mit uns teilen möchtest?
My efforts are to present my art to an even wider audience through regular exhibitions, both visually and live, to further establish myself in the art world and to experience recognition of my diverse creative style, as well as to find even more interest in acquiring my works.
Meine Bestrebungen gehen dahin, dass ich meine Kunst anhand von regelmäßigen Ausstellungen, sowohl visuell, als auch live, einem noch breiteren Publikum vorstelle, mich in der Kunstwelt weiter etabliere und dort Anerkennung meiner vielfältigen Schaffensweise erfahre, sowie für meine Werke noch mehr Interesse zum Erwerb zu finden.

We asked the artist Monika Seroka a few questions

1. Tell us how it started, the how did you come to abstract painting?

 I am a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. Studying at the Academy is primarily about improving skills related to realism, composition, proportions and colors. Once you have mastered all this, the next step is to find your own way. In my case it was abstraction. 

2. What are the prevailing/dominant colours in your palette?

I have no restrictions when it comes to colors. My paintings are rather subdued in color, but I use many interpenetrating shades to create depth. Of course, I have my favorite colors (browns, grays, greens, turquoises, shades of rust) but I am not limited to only my favorite colors. 

3. What can you tell us about your painting technique and creative composition? Are there any techniques or formats you prefer?

My works on canvas are characterized by dynamic composition, they resemble the forces of nature. The texture of paintings is clearly differentiated, which gives them depth and a three-dimensional impression. The colors and movement of the brush strokes bring energy and harmonious balance. I definitely prefer to paint large formats, but the size does not limit me. I mix techniques. My works on canvas have a rich multi-dimensional structure, then several layers of acrylic paints, next thin semi-transparent layers of oil paint and finally varnish. I create works on paper using ink, acrylic paints, charcoal and oil pastels.

4. Have you always wanted to pursue this profession?  

Yes, I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts over 20 years ago and since then I have been involved in graphics and I was also a lecturer at an art school. I returned to painting three years ago after an 18-year break. 

5. What is your source of inspiration?/What motivates you to create?

How do you make your works? Do you create a precise project or do you act spontaneously and emotionally?

I am inspired by nature.  

Nature, due to its complexity and the beauty of various forms and structures, is an endless inspiration for artists. An unlimited color palette, inspiring details and solutions mean that everyone will find something for themselves. I particularly like the seasons, the accompanying atmospheric phenomena and their dynamics. An abstract approach to the topic gives me the opportunity to isolate the fragments that interested me at a given moment. Breaking them down into factors, extracting one or several elements that will constitute the basis of the composition. Because I create in mixed media, there are many possibilities. 

Multi-dimensional textures, textures, base layers and finally glazes to bring out the depth. 

Each painting carries a different positive energy. A wide palette of colors takes the viewer into a world of various sensations and emotions.

How did your artistic journey begin?
Ever since I can remember, I have always had a passion for drawing. The desire to create has been as natural to me as breathing. Drawing has always been a constant in my life, shaping who I am and how I see the world.

Where do you draw inspiration for your abstract works?
Inspiration comes in the creative rush, when the search for the perfect palette and the exploration of everyday feelings sparks the creation of a new painting. Nature, with its endless beauty, is often the source of this inspiration. 

How do you select the colors, shapes, and textures for your pieces?
Color choices for my paintings are guided by my emotional state and the concept I'm aiming to convey. My recent work features squares, symbolizing stability and order. Through layering, I transform chaos into structure, and this union of color and form defines the piece.

What techniques do you use to create your works?
I use acrylic paint to create my paintings, which I apply using a roller as well as traditional brushes and a palette knife.          

      
Do you identify with any particular artistic movement or style?
The style of geometric abstraction really appeals to me. I've always admired the work of masters like Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky.

What message do you aim to convey through your artworks?

I find my creative process to be very intuitive and meditative. It's like being carried along by an unseen force.

My art is a reflection of my commitment to a better world, fostering peace, understanding, and compassion. Through my work, I explore the depths of human emotion, capturing life's fleeting moments. I believe art is a catalyst for change, uniting us and inspiring positive action.

1. Tell us how it all started and how you got into abstract painting.

I've been painting abstract acrylic paintings since 2021. There's no particular reason why I started painting. At first my thought was to try something new.

2. What are the predominant/dominant colors in your palette?

I really like the blue, red and yellow tones. White should definitely not be missing.
 
3. What can you tell us about your painting technique and creative composition? Are there any techniques or formats you prefer?

I like to work with glazes and all-over coverage, as well as with layers of paint. The compositions develop during the painting process. I like to start very simply and leave my actions to chance.
And then I think more about it.

4. Have you always wanted to pursue this career?

Absolutely no.
 
5. What is your source of inspiration?/What motivates you to create?

I could now answer that I am inspired by nature, but I don't feel that way. The play of colors in nature impresses me, perhaps I subconsciously absorb a spectrum of it and incorporate it into my subconscious.
 
6. In general, what impression do you want to give to the viewer of your images?

Every viewer can and should decide for themselves. My pictures are intended to create a moment of happiness and good feelings.

7. How do you make your works? Are you creating a specific project or are you acting spontaneously and emotionally?

I work without a concrete plan, which also suits my chaotic side. Depending on my mood, I choose my colors and just get started. I always feel immediately whether it is a good or bad creative day.
 
8. Does the place you live influence your art?

No 

9. What do you think about the digital age we live in as it relates to art?

Everyone should decide that for themselves. It's not for me.

10. What are your plans for the future?

My primary goal is to continually improve what I do and deepen my knowledge. I'm working on making more space for my art during everyday life. To maintain and expand my existing customer base.
 
12. Something I didn’t ask you that you would like to share with us?

I would like to thank you for allowing me to be with you. It feels almost personal to work with you even though we have never met.

1) How did your journey in the art world begin?

It was the year 1971. After completing my studies at the Bologna Art High School, my hometown, I enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture in Florence. However, I had already been painting and creating wooden sculptures partially covered with various materials for several years. The artist Mario Nanni, one of my high school teachers, followed my research work and introduced me to a gallery owner in Bologna. My first exhibition, held at Galleria Duemila, was the beginning of the shows listed in my curriculum. From that moment on, dedicating myself to artistic research became my priority. "A sculptor by vocation, an architect by necessity" was the answer I always gave when asked about my profession.

2) Where do you draw inspiration for your abstract works?

In the early stages of my research, I was attracted to circular and oval geometric shapes. Then came an "organic" phase, featuring sinuous forms in both sculpture and painting, inspired by what my spirit and imagination brought to mind. Later, I entered the "Stelae" period, characterized by the presence of cuneiform characters. This was followed by large canvases exploring "impossible things" enclosed within wooden "cages." During that time, I moved my home and studio to São Vicente Island in the Cape Verde archipelago, where the mountains became my main source of inspiration. "A grande ilusão," "Landscapes in the Soul," and "Monochromes" are some of the creative moments from the last decade. Currently, I am reflecting on my next project, titled "O futuro atrás de mim" (deliberately left in Portuguese) as a tribute to Luca Massimo Bolondi, a dear friend who curated my exhibitions in Mindelo, the cultural capital of Cape Verde, and with whom I still enjoy wonderful phone conversations.

3) How do you select colors, shapes, and textures for your works?

Sculpture and painting always coexist in my artistic process. I use natural and stained wood for sculptures, and various materials and colors for paintings. I don’t follow a specific selection process; colors, shapes, and textures often vary depending on each creative phase. I particularly love black, brown, white, ochre, and brick red above all others. In the past, I often painted with cobalt blue, which remains my absolute favorite color, though I can no longer seem to integrate it into my work.

4) What techniques do you use to bring your creations to life?

Sculpture: I often sculpted using a "subtractive method" (to quote Michelangelo), relying solely on chisels, gouges, and mallets. However, this process has become physically demanding for me, so I now work with an electric saw, assembling the forms I create and adding colored inserts using acrylic paints.
Painting: I have always used oil paints. Now I dilute them with turpentine and alternate layers of paint with layers of colored tissue paper, fabric pieces, and cotton threads. Everything is applied to thick cotton canvas, often mounted on wooden panels. Additionally, I construct the frames for my paintings myself.

5) Do you identify with a specific artistic movement or style?

Rarely. At different times, conceptual art and abstract art have influenced my work. For many years, I have felt closer to a form of abstract expressionism, occasionally leaning toward informalism. My "artistic triad" consists of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Marc Chagall, and Emilio Vedova. The courage to innovate, a sweetness tinged with melancholy, and the strength of the gesture (though never violent). Above all, however, there is Marco Bettocchi, with his ideas and personal achievements.

6) What is your creative process like? Do you follow a specific plan, or do you let instinct and emotions guide you?

I have always made sketches for all my works, both sculptures and paintings. Yet, I always modify and partially disregard them. Instinct and improvisation play a significant role; the movement of my hand is often decisive, and the mark becomes the protagonist. However, everything is always controlled by the mind. The mark goes where I decide it should; how it turns out depends on chance. If I don’t like it, I erase it and start again.

7) What message do you wish to convey through your works?

I firmly believe that abstract art can help viewers expand the boundaries of their imagination, awakening the creativity that exists in every member of the so-called Homo sapiens species.

8) What are your goals or aspirations as an abstract artist?

Throughout my life, I have always wanted to see what was around the next corner. This applies to social and human relationships, as well as my artistic research. Imagining this research as a long journey, it has been punctuated by many small detours representing different explorative phases, each lasting no more than two years. I have always felt the need to change, discover, and adapt. This has allowed me to fully embrace my creative journey and makes me feel alive and active, even now, with three-quarters of a century behind me.

9) Do you have any future projects or dreams you’d like to share?

I returned to the art world just a year ago after over thirty years of absence, though I continued working in my studio and exhibited my works only in Mindelo (in the Cape Verde archipelago), where I lived with my wife for five years. I believe deeply in my work—I have dedicated my entire life to it and will continue as long as I can.

My dream today, given my age, is to find admirers of my works and to achieve something tangible.

1. Tell us how it started, how did you come to abstract painting?  Have you always wanted to pursue this profession?

Talking about my art, I have always liked drawing since I was a kid. I even took some art classes outside of school. But since I’ve been married, my life became fast paced, and I couldn't follow my ambition. But it was always in the back of my mind, that I love drawing.

Having 3 children kept me so busy. So, one day I told myself, that in order to draw I needed to be calm, and me and my life were not calm, so I decided to put this passion aside for later on in my life, where I would have the opportunity to sit, relax and paint. So, with that decision, I didn't think about drawing or painting anymore. I even went back to school for 7 to 8 years to study psychology, which is my other passion. 

Last summer (2023), I saw a doodle art, created by one of my relatives. I asked about it and she explained it alittle and told me I can watch more of this genre of art being created on Pinterest or Instagram. A few days later I bought sketch books and markers.

And that was the start of my journey into the art world, even though my life still wasn't that calm. It seems that I didn't choose the time to start, it chose me.

Since I haven’t had any formal education or teaching lessons in art, I don't feel as if I have any boundaries in my drawing. And this felt SO good. Sometimes, I feel as if I need to learn the skills to draw/paint, but ultimately, I feel that if I get an education or lessons in art, then I can't be that free. This way there is no right or wrong way, I just follow the path my emotions or my instincts take me.

At the beginning I just used markers, but then I decided to try using pencil, with color over it, but it wasn't as good, because I was trapped in judging it, and kept erasing it.

So I put them aside and told myself, just draw, it doesn't matter what the result is. But surprisingly, I started getting compliments on my artworks. And I enjoyed creating them too.

I don't usually plan what I am going to draw. Sometimes I have a vague idea, but it usually changes in the middle of my artwork. So I am as curious and surprised as anyone else, to see what is the outcome is, and that's one of the biggest joys that it brings to my life.


I always tell myself, it doesn't matter if the final work is going to be good or not, just create and enjoy.


Sometimes I have so many ideas in my head, that I don't have time to make it alive on paper.

2. What is your source of inspiration?/What motivates you to create?

I’m inspired by nature, leaves, shapes, and also the work of other artists that I have seen.


3. How do you make your works? Do you create a precise project or do you act spontaneously and emotionally?


But most of the time I don't think about my drawing. It doesn't have a topic.  Maybe just choose some colors and think that today I want to go with those colors, but, quite often that changes too.

4. What are the prevailing/dominant colours in your palette?

I really don't know how I decide on colors, maybe my feeling, or mood? Or some paintings that I have seen? I am not sure.


5. What can you tell us about your painting technique and creative composition. Are there any techniques or formats you prefer?


I usually like my brush to move on the paper and make shapes, so my shapes are mostly curves or circles, very rarely I use sharp shapes.


I also love colors. I don't have many black and white artworks.

My artworks are mixed media. One method that I learned from other artists is pouring colors (acrylic ink or ink) over leaves, flowers, wood and even small stones, whatever I find in nature, that can give a texture or shape to my colors. I then let the color dry, and pick those materials and draw over them. Or I like using a colored base with watercolor or acrylic ink or ink and then doodle drawing over it, with different pattern or shapes. Some times I even use natural colors ,like coffee, or cook beets ,it's really beautiful.

How did you begin your journey in the art world?

• I spent most of my childhood creating. I would sit on my own for hours making beads jewelry and sewing, but when I became an adult it got lost. However, around 12 years ago, I moved to India and started to draw quite often. I guess the change in perspective caused by the cultural shock generated an urge to express myself. I have then experimented with collage, sculpture, crochet… I would feel relaxed while creating with these media. Still, none gave me the answers that painting does. I somehow always knew that I had to paint, but it was only after a dream that it became inevitable. I dreamt I had a studio in New York City and would create these huge black-and-white paintings. When I woke up, I knew that was the direction I had to take.

2) Where do you draw inspiration for your abstract works?

• Mostly from my inner world and feelings, but also from other artists, from nature, from everyday life… The other day I saw a garment rack with a few jackets hanging on it. The color combination and the way those jackets were displayed consisted of an incidental artwork.

3) How do you select colors, shapes, and textures for your pieces?

• I work continuously to increase and refine my materials and techniques library. It contains a limited color palette to choose from, which simplifies my practice quite a bit. I believe that too many variables can easily get an artist stuck. Thus, I selected a few colors that bring me joy and made them my go-to. I also have the circle as one of my staples, which I combine with more organic shapes to create the compositions. I have been experimenting with various finishings and textures, but it’s been a challenge to apply them meaningfully. Furthermore, I prefer to dive deep into a given element before incorporating it into my practice. For individual pieces or series, shapes are normally the first thing that arises. Colors come next and are selected along the way, according to the message or feeling the painting needs to convey.

4) What techniques do you use to bring your creations to life?

• I use a blend of acrylic painting and mixed media on canvas. The pieces are a combination of geometric shapes and more organic elements, whose aim is to represent the balance between control and surrender. The sharp edges are obtained through several layers of painting and precise gestures.

5) Do you identify with a particular movement or artistic style?

• I have been influenced by Street art, by the minimalistic aspects of Suprematism, even though I shy away from sharp edges, and especially by Orphism. However, I do not see myself as part of a specific movement. I feel that there are a lot of surprises to appear in my path, and it’s exciting to allow the process to make my style evolve.

6) What is your creative process like? Do you follow a precise plan, or do you let instinct and emotions guide you?

• Most of my paintings have a fairly well-defined vision in the beginning. At first, I sketch them without using colors. Most of the time, I fail to materialize the feeling I had when I imagined the painting. Sometimes, I get frustrated and drop the idea, other times I just accept that I will never be satisfied, so I head to the canvas and try to render the shapes to the best of my abilities. Yet, in a few instances, the process offers pleasant surprises and the painting evolves into something richer than the original idea. It depends a lot on how I feel. The calmer and happier I am, the more likely it will be that the process will take over and surpass the initial vision.

7) What message do you wish to convey through your works?

• I like to explore themes of perception, mindfulness, and hope. I see painting as a way of designing future realities and decoding complex feelings and intuitions. Thus, I would like my paintings to offer a glimpse into more harmonious mental states, or at least to remind the observer that nothing is as permanent as it seems. I also believe that mindfulness and tranquility are a type of rebellion act. All the over-stimulation our brains are exposed to non-stop is designed to keep us trapped, rigid, and fearful. Art can fight it by connecting us back to our inner worlds. For me, good art should offer hope.

8) What are your goals or aspirations as an abstract artist?

• My main goal is to keep practicing in order to materialize my artistic vision the best I can. I wish to be able to make art that brings me joy. If other people can feel joy and calmness by looking at my paintings, that would be even better.

9) Do you have any future projects or dreams you'd like to share with us?

• One of the next goals is to render my paintings more immersive. I am under the impression that small pieces induce people to want to decipher them, while large ones engulf the viewer, forcing him to get out of his head. Hence, my next projects will be either scale up or blend painting and sculpture.