Art as a Spectator: Zuzanna’s Bold Colours and Dark Themes

Art as a Spectator: Zuzanna’s Bold Colours and Dark Themes

‘ I often hate my work initially (I’m burdened with perpetual perfectionisim) , however I find that leaving my work for a week of so then coming back to it allows me to fall in love with the work and find new meanings.’

– Your art style is quite eye catching, why do you think you create art in this way?

I think my art style is a direct resemblance of myself – I’ve often related to feeling like a spectator in my own body and my work is a reflection of that. My style incorporates quiet alternative dark themes juxtaposed by my love of bold bright colours. I grew up listening to the alternative rap community, artists like lil peep and xxxtentacion helped paved the way and inspire my style.

– What process do you go through when you make a piece?

My process always starts off with finding inspiration from somewhere. I struggle sitting down and forcing myself to create a concept – they come to me at the most random of times and subsequently my brain is filled with wonderful ideas i’m yet to try. I often sketch an idea quickly before had just so I have a rough outline of what I plan to do. My work never usually follows a sketch and always ends up changing but that is he beauty of art – it can trans form in ways you didn’t expect. I often hate my work initially (I’m burdened with perpetual perfectionisim) , however I find that leaving my work for a week of so then coming back to it allows me to fall in love with the work and find new meanings.

– A lot of your art is a drawing against a picture, what’s the thought process behind making them that way?

I initially came over the art style when researching the artist Rokni Haerizadeh – I became instantly drawn to drawing my own realities onto a snapshot of a real moment captured in time. I think that drawing over photographs transforms the image to mean something completely different and allows me to write my own narratives within an already predefined medium. In terms of technicality, my drawings use a lot of little lines to build up depth and structure – having an image directly underneath allows me to have an easier view of shadows and highlights and creates a plan for me to work directly on top of.

– Can you walk us through your first encounter with your current art style and why you have chosen to continue with it?

I first encountered the start of my art style during my art GCSE. Fashion student Giryung Kim heavily inspired my work – her illustrations used both mixed media and an expressive, unique drawing style. Her figures looked tired and defeated but were dressing in these incredible outfits – I related to these figures. I created my own characters based off my friends and created a series of mixed media pieces which reflected the beginning of my style.

– Is there a message you are trying to communicate through your work?

My work often reflects the concept of the grotesque body – it reflects the regular world but in the way which people often do not like to talk about. My work aims to bring light to negative as we live in a world filled will polarities, it is a constant reminder to myself and to others to make the most of whatever deck of cards you are dealt.

– Where do you get the inspiration for your pieces?

Like I previously mentioned my inspiration comes to me at the most random times, I can be on the train, getting my nails done or making food. As soon as I get inspired by something and have an idea, I make sure to write it down in my notes section as I have the memory of a goldfish. I find that as an artist it is important to visit a lot of exhibitions, I do this not only for artistic inspiration but to gather knowledge about where my work is situated within global, social, and political contexts.

– What is your favourite piece and why?

My favourite piece so far is my most recent digital drawing which is titled ‘Up close and personal.’ This specific work is my favourite as it encompasses my favorite themes, mixing both styles of alternative and gritty with cute and girly. Additionally, this drawing is also my favourite due to how drastically the reference photo transformed into the drawing – I often find that sometimes the process is more interesting than the final product.

– Who are your creative influences?

In terms of artistic style my influences include artists such as Adam riches, Mandy El-Sayegh, Penny Slinger, Tracy Emin and Zoe Alameda. All these artists create work in different and exciting ways and inspired me to further experiment with my own style.

– Why is art, specifically your art important to you?

I’ve struggled with poor mental health my whole life, art has been an outlet for me. I often find myself channeling my anxiety and frustrations onto my canvases – my work sometimes features hidden meanings which only I can understand, this helps with releasing those thoughts which find themselves buried quite deep inside of me. Art has allowed me to explore my troubles and often learn things about myself which I was not aware of in the first place.

– Do you have a network of other artists, and how do they support you?

For me, studying art at university and exploring the work of others has been beneficial to my own practice. Group reviews the most helpful as often it takes a fresh set of eyes to highlight new perspectives. Additionally, some of my closest friends work within the creative industries (music and tattooing) I find that we can call learn and inspire one another even if you are from different fields.

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