7 Questions with Agata di Masternak

Agata di Masternak is a painter featured in Al-Tiba9 magazine ISSUE03, interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj about her painting series Heads.

“I explore my subject to the very boundaries between life and death. My art reflects the transcendent act of crossing the border of souls living the body.”

Agata was born and grew up in the south of Poland in the mountains. She was painting since she was a little girl. After her diagnosis, when she was 16, her new vocation became apparent. Agata started painting at the hospital where painting became her medicine, too of transformation and her escape from a crushing diagnosis. Agata’s work is on a permanent exhibition at the Conrad Hotel in Westminster and at the Hospital Club in Covent Garden. She had numerous shows in the UK, Germany, Poland, France, Italy, and the US.

Please describe the intention behind your art. How do you successfully express this intention?

My intention is to conjure the emotion, energy that comes directly from my subject, to tell the truth. I paint, sculpt, design textiles, and write poetry. I want my art to be thought-provoking and not only visually stimulating but also intellectually challenging. If my art can benefit others on some level, that is a bonus. Making art helps me to become a better human being. In many cases, art becomes a form of personal therapy.

Can you talk a little about your formative years as an artist?

I was always drawing as a child, but I loved science as well. No one in our family was taking art seriously, and my parents wanted me to become a doctor. I changed my mind shortly after being diagnosed with a rare medical condition hemangioma in my left maxilla on the left-hand side of my head that grew into a tumor and caused massive blessings few times a day and cheekbone deterioration in my face. I was bleeding every day and night, and doctors didn’t know what to do with me. They said that I have 2 years left.

I started looking for help in different hospitals, and I found an incredible doctor who saved my life. I had 29 surgeries for the last 18 years of my life, and this experience hugely contributed to how I paint now. I created the Big Heads series during extended stays at the hospital. I painted my face and the faces of surrounding me, people. I wanted to erase them from my memory. After coming back to the studio, I stitched pieces of canvas together, creating large scale canvases. That was my first honest self-expression. The Big Heads (200x200cm each) is an ongoing series that I divided into 2 parts- hurting and healing.

There’s a lot of painting work on the market these days, how do you differentiate yours from the rest? In other words, what do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?

My subject makes my work unique. In the last 16 years of painting, I was exploring my face and all the changes that my body was undergoing. My hospital experience confused me at first. I felt lost and overwhelmed, trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. After a couple of years of treatment, I gained more clarity, and everything started to make more sense. I reconnected with my true self, and I was finally able to set the boundaries and became more assertive. 

I created my own language, my own, unique mark focusing on body parts that I experienced and understood the most. 

What is the best part about creating art using various art supplies and techniques?

I love experimenting and exploring new materials and mediums. That allows me to reinvent the elements and rediscover their use and meaning. This breath of fresh air feeds my practice and will enable me to express myself fully and enjoy the playful nature of art materials. 

What do you believe is a key element in creating a good painting? I think that being focused on your artistic practice and truthful are the critical elements in creating a good piece of art

What do you wish you knew about painting before you got started?

I wish I knew that having an art degree is not essential to become an artist. I don’t regret studying and learning various techniques, history of art, and craftsmanship. It gave me a lot of confidence on one level, but at the same time, it restricted my mind regarding taking more risks.

What is your favorite genre of music to listen to while working?

I love all genres of music. It has to be a good piece of music that stimulates me. That is my only requirement. I listen to soul, opera music, hip hop, rap, chill out, and many other genres. There are also days when I listen to documentaries or interviews with interesting people. It depends on my mood. 

Do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations?

I was preparing a solo show in Luxembourg in October 2019, and then I have a solo show in Warsaw in November. In the spring of 2020, I have an exhibition in London. It looks like 2020 will be busy, but that makes me happy as I do what I love, and it is rewarding to get more exposure, interest, and feedback from people.