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Emilia, a 29-year-old artist from Poland, entered the heart of Berlin's art scene just two years ago. Her canvases bring human bodies to life, mirroring the journey of an artist who explores her inner and outer realms through her creations. With degrees in both painting and art therapy, she discovered her artistic voice -- a fusion of punk spirit and expert technique that conjures an enchanting world, drawing you into the magic of her black inner dimension.
"I reached a point in my life where I felt I couldn't afford to be uncertain anymore. I made the conscious decision to dedicate myself to a single art form, channeling all my energy into it. This was a pivotal moment for me, as it marked the first time I chose to focus on one thing and wholeheartedly commit to it."
E: The role of art in my life is connected to the concept of expressing words through the language of painting. At times, words fall short, confining meanings within constraints, whereas art has the capacity to transcend these limitations.
I play a big role in my art: I started my art journey by imprinting my own body silhouette on a canva and it made me accept the way I look because on the canvas, you can always become something out of this world, it’s always art. My art is discovering myself, and I feel a profound connection to it. I paint to explore and define my own world.
That's why, for me, art is more about discovery than creation. I never have a plan of what the canvas is gonna look like. I do not create something from scratch, I just uncover something that already exists in my mind, I have only to dig deeper to reveal it.
I usually engage in a dialogue with the unfolding process and add elements as I go: I simply explore the path, and something gradually takes shape. I'm not afraid to take risks, even though they can sometimes lead to mistakes. I believe that if I were too cautious about these risks, nothing truly innovative would come to life.
In this sense, art can teach you a great lesson: since an idea is just an idea, the practice or the executing cannot always be as we expected. Sometimes, it's better to risk ruining a painting than to give up out of fear. In any case, it’s never a step back, actually is a step forward. You don’t have to always accomplish your idea, you just have to say to yourself: ‘Okay, what I did I took the wrong direction but is still a progress somehow.’
E: I try to be regular in creating without thinking whether I am in a good mood or a bad mood. But while working on a painting, I can clearly see what’s going on inside of me. I feel like loneliness is the biggest drive to the little dark holes of my inner world, where I can get deeper into the reasons of life. This makes me more curious about answers and sometimes I even yearn to return there because it's full of magic.
E: Rule number one for me is to stand in front of the canvas every day and contemplate what I'm going to paint, even if there are days when I don't actually pick up the brush. When I'm not in my studio, I keep the visual inspiration alive by reviewing pictures of my works in progress on my phone, ensuring it's always on my mind. I also immerse myself in other artists' creations by visiting galleries, which I find incredibly important. There are moments when I can't paint for a few days, but a visit to an exhibition rejuvenates my motivation to rush back to the studio immediately.
"Regulart connection with art is crucial. Continuously looking at and reflecting on your own paintings is a progress in itself."
If you don’t have an idea, you don’t have to run away from your canvas. Instead, you have to observe and stay connected with your work in progress. And if things don’t come up don't force it, but do not abandon the studio. Frustration has a big role in my motivation, it drives me to come back the next day and actually start painting.
E: I attended the Catholic school which made me read a lot of stories that I think now are running my imagination profoundly. These stories are filled with a lot of magic, gods on clouds and strange places that you cannot find but you just hear about, that no one has ever seen. I love that you can re - interpret them by yourself, you don’t have to understand it, you can think of them as you want.It comes naturally to create this magic environment, especially because I use a lot of black and it feels both the black comes out or it grabs inside. When I find myself drawn into that deep darkness, I enter a world of enchanting little creatures.
My dad is a hypnotherapist, he told me a lot about subconsciousness, crazy stuff that is inside our consciousness; it’s about going deep inside yourself and finding magic. When I was younger he took me for a little trip through my past memories that my conscious self has hidden- making me realize that there really is much more in me than I see in my everyday life and thoughts.
"What we see in the sky is a reflection of what 's happening inside of us. The inner and outer world are reflecting each other."
E: It's not always simple to understand that the line between our inner and outer worlds isn't so well-defined; it's rather fluid, with both dimensions constantly influencing each other. Lou Andreas-Salomé presented a fresh take on the mythological character Narcissus, an angle we're not typically accustomed to associating with this figure. Interestingly, I stumbled upon Salomé's work quite by chance while I was working on my bachelor's thesis. It was truly captivating to immerse myself in this new perspective: she explored the concept that Narcissus could be seen as a metaphor for humanity's quest for self-discovery and self-awareness.
When I contemplate my own self, I don't perceive a clear line separating me from what's behind me. It's not like gazing into a mirror and seeing a distinct, isolated reflection. This mirrors the essence of Narcissus - he gazes into the mirror and doesn't just see himself; he sees himself as an integral part of the world surrounding him.
E: I find a strong resonance with Jung's concept of the collective unconscious in my art. I treat painting as a means of discovering the world, not just what's within my shell but in the shared, collective world that we all inhabit. Different people perceive different elements in my artwork, giving various interpretations. This makes it quite real that what is discovered is not only a product of my consciousness; it's almost as if it's floating, open to multiple perspectives.
For example, when a piece is completed and leaves the sanctuary of my studio, it takes on a life of its own, becoming a creation in which everyone participates. It's like giving the world your most treasured secrets. And that's what excites me most about painting –if I could only use language, I wouldn't tell so much to the world because of my natural shyness.
But through painting, even when I don't consciously intend to share a part of myself, it's a more unconscious way of expressing what's within.
"I treat my paintings as mirrors, which is why the story of Narcissus resonates with me. I see not only myself but also the world that surrounds me—things that often go unnoticed on ordinary days when I'm not paying attention. But when I paint, the world becomes vivid, and new aspects come to light."
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