10 Questions with Alicja Klimek

Alicja Klimek was born in 1991 in Olkusz. She graduated from the Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz – Witkacy high school in Kracow with an art and theater profile. Between 2011 and 2016, she studied at the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kracow. The title of her thesis was "Monidło – Discovering of the Identity", and it was completed with the highest grade. An integral part of the diploma was two annexes from studio drawing and studio poster. In addition, she was granted numerous awards by the Council of the Fine Arts Academy for her paintings and drawings.

Currently, she paints pictures, creates posters, writes texts, runs a blog, deepening the issues of subconsciousness, awareness, and identity, and sharing her ideas. She conducted the following projects: MONIDŁO - RETURN TO THE INTERIOR and TAMING EMOTIONS, examining human mechanisms. She is currently running a long-term project, LAW OF THE DESERT, and she produced a movie about it. The project started in the Błędów Desert, the biggest in Europe.

She lives and works near Krakow, near the Błędów Desert. Her works have appeared at many exhibitions in Poland and abroad (Tokyo).

www.alicjaklimek.com | @alicjaklim

ARTIST STATEMENT

Over the last few years, Alicja Klimek has been going through an intense process of self-discovery, strolling through her Inside. This process naturally gave birth to paintings. By studying the mechanisms controlling Humans and learning the self-service of herself - a human- she reached the self-confidence and self-love that allowed her to go along with her life mission. Every day she programs her mind to follow her heart. Using the power of ART, she puts sensitivity to pedestals, awakening human hearts and regaining decent HUMANITY.

She delves into the subconsciousness, destroys the false identity, and finds in humans the Truth that flows from the very nature of existence. She is fed up with criticism in art and in humans, with words about the collapse. What you are looking at grows. She sees the potential in this unique time. This is the perfect time to Return To The Inside, in which she follows the Law of the Desert.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Could you tell us more about your background and how you began making art? 

I am Alicja from the Desert, and more specifically, I grew up near the Błędów Desert, so it has influenced me since my childhood and created the background for my subconsciousness. A desert is a place of discovering one's identity, which is why this process was with me constantly, though completely unconsciously, in the early years. I have been creating since I can remember, and quite early as a child, I insisted on becoming a painter. I learned from my mother and was often irritated that I couldn't do the same as she did! More than one page was torn, but I continued in that direction. A few years later, I got into the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, where I was ambitiously painting day after day, full of motivation. I missed out on a lot of social life! Fortunately, many meetings took place in our studio, where I was able to create. I was coming back to my son fulfilled, discovering more inspiration! Being a mom was my driving force. After graduation, problems started, and the therapy turned out to be the discovery of another fascination, which was wandering around my Inside. I was able to discover psychology, subconsciousness, and all mechanisms that control people. Today I use this knowledge in my projects. And above all, I discovered what true self-love is. Each experience is needed on an individual, unique path. My daughter also appeared in the world. Currently, I am fulfilling myself as a painter, mother, and creator of the Law of the Desert. It is worth following your heart.

How would you define yourself as an artist? And what makes you unique? 

Truth is important to me, that is also the meaning of my name. There are no coincidences. Everything I create is based on my experience, on internal experiences, and I turn even the hardest into something good because I deeply believe that this is how we stand in the truth as people. We emanate our Inside, and if we are close to ourselves, we can get closer to people and the world. I liked the definition of one of the audience members that I myself am like this Desert, which, according to the Law of the Desert project, triggers processes of self-discovery, which is why a change is truly experienced with me. Zeal for work is smoldering inside me! Sensitivity is important to me. I am a highly sensitive person, and I needed to learn to wield this personality trait. I have a sense of a mission to support highly sensitive people who are indispensable in times when indestructible people are placed on pedestals, who, in their attractive masks, deprive the world of the ability to communicate hearts, and authenticity! And well, even when writing about myself, I have to talk about ideas that are important to me! That's how I am—an idealist, dedicated to the mission, needing to create a sense of deep meaning. When I care about something, I go towards my goal by all means. I believe in people and the power of art.

You mostly work with painting. Can you guide us through your creative process? How do you approach a new painting from the blank canvas to the final result? 

I want to emphasize that this is not painting intellectual concepts; it is important for me to connect deeply with God, feel the painting, and move. In the beginning, a vision appears somewhere under closed eyelids, and if it stays, I know that it was given from above and that it is to be expressed by me, and I will do my best to reflect it as faithfully as possible. Most often, I make specific sketches, made of only strokes with a black pen, which capture the composition of the painting. Additionally, I describe in words what colors, light, and symbols I see. Symbols play a huge role in my work. The creative process begins with creating a painting support, the painting's own ground. I paint with oil paints, and sometimes I use pigments and sand. These are my own mixed techniques. A deep connection with the painting is important to me, and I don't like distractions. Sometimes, while creating, I look for color inspiration, or random nuances appear that I want to keep on the canvas; I leave space for the creative process itself, where the most happens. It is an experience of meeting my Inside. The atmosphere in the painting, and the light emanating from symbols, places, and people are very important to me. Usually, they are static, figurative compositions with the view of a characteristic texture of cotton canvas, from watercolor stains, delicate or harder lines, some traces, reflections, dirt, scratches, and ragging, to various textures built either with pigment with a varnish or thickening of oil paint. I have a great desire to deepen the topic. I use a rather muted and narrow range of colors. Only occasionally, I use more vivid colors. I have a great desire to explore the inner world through my imagination and symbolism, the desire to reach archetypes that are important to me. I believe that pictures can be painted endlessly because the vision changes along with one's own development. Therefore it is worth reaching for another canvas at some point.

How much planning goes into each work, and where do you find inspiration? 

It depends, sometimes a vision appears, but I do not fully feel it. I do not see, for example, what will be the atmosphere or colors of a painting. And then I wait, and so with time, the vision becomes complete, and I sit down at an easel. Often the painting needs the external or internal experience of mine to be fully comprehended. Sometimes I have a flash, and I act immediately on fire. I can see and, most of all, feel so clearly. I draw inspiration from observing everyday life, and I see hidden symbols everywhere, but most of all, from my inner journeys. Sometimes I hear one sentence, and the whole picture and lots of contexts from my life appear. The most interesting visions are those that acquire new deep meanings over time. I have a few such stories, for example, with the painting The Road, which I painted when I graduated. For the client who bought it, it meant a connection with her soul. At the same time, the painting was used as a poster during a NO WAY ecological initiative.

Do you have a role model or an artist you particularly look up to when creating your art?

I define these places as the museum of the imagination and often reach out to them. Sometimes a painting of a famous artist appears in me, most often from the old days, that brings me information while creating. I love to browse old albums and admire some nuance, sometimes a theme, and colors. I do not really have one beloved artist, although there are people who infect with their whole being, e.g., Picasso and his involvement. Clearly, painting is a choice of a path through life. I am also delighted with primitive paintings, old frescoes with a past, and sacred paintings, but also Rothko, Gauguin, Balthus, Georgia O'Keeffe, Chagall. The discrepancy is huge, and I look for the essence. Or matter painting, I also absorb it.

Let's talk about the main themes behind your art. You mention subconsciousness, identity, and self-love in your statement. What messages would you like the viewers to read in your work? 

I will try to be as specific as possible. I want my paintings to be an encounter with the Inside, each one individually, that through my paintings, people connect with their depth, with their soul, that these paintings move, allow them to look into forgotten, repressed, and distant places, to open themselves to the truth, to meeting with themselves, with their unique Insides. I believe that people see themselves in paintings. I want every person to see the light, their inner light. I want my paintings to open to self-discovery, to the discovery of a new definition of a human being, to guide people in the best possible direction. Through my project "Law of the Desert", I want to draw attention to the condition of humanity, our planet, nature, but also the psyche of an individual. I want sensitive people to discover their power and learn to use it. Despite their wounds, the sensitive still wear their hearts on their sleeves. The world needs sensitive hearts.

Can you tell us more about these concepts? And how do you incorporate them into your work? 

I think that a lot happens spontaneously and that my visions are the testimony of these concepts. I use symbols that evoke a connection with subconsciousness, just as through the language of associations they allow one to connect with the truth that is stuck in it but is unnamed, e.g., desert, tent, shadows, landscape elements or still life, stones, caves, bridges. The key I use to get inspiration about the form is Monidło (in the photo or painting, there is an opening for the face that allows the photographed client, tourist, to be "thrown" into an unusual, funny, or different, or at least unnatural - context. This practice allows you to become someone else in the blink of an eye). This inspiration perfectly shows the duality of the inner and outer world, which I keep studying in my work. In the holes of the "Monidło" we usually see fragments of the body, thanks to which we can self-identify, so symbols can work even more strongly. The images work according to the Law of the Desert. The project itself, through the places of its implementation, evokes specific processes in a person: Painting in the background of the desert, being in the desert, meeting with your Inside; movement towards nature, and movement towards oneself. The desert works by itself.

Over the past few months, we have witnessed several changes in the art world, from online exhibitions and live events to the surge of NFTs and now a slowing down in their popularity. What do you think of these recent changes? Do you miss the art world as it was before the pandemic, or do you see more opportunities now? 

I believe that nothing can replace live art. The direct encounter with a work triggers the greatest human experiences when there is no screen in between. However, I see great potential in the present day. The world definitely favors coming back inside. When the stimuli disappear, in our four walls, in this silence, we begin to hear more clearly what is within us. A similar mechanism to the one in the Desert is triggered. Silence, emptiness, we are caught up with what we escaped from, and we have the opportunity to face it, heal it. I think that all these difficult situations redirect our attention to the most important matters, e.g., thanks to a pandemic, I decided to create an exhibition in the largest desert in Europe, beyond borders, beyond divisions, and in nature. Art has gone towards nature, and in this movement, I want to show how important it is to be in contact with nature and to honor it. During the pandemic, mankind found shelter in nature. So that we finally take the right direction in our life, the one closest to our heart. Let's look in the right, upbuilding direction.

What do you hope to accomplish this year, both in terms of career goals and personal life? 

As usual, the bar is set high. The Law of the Desert project wants to develop. I am happy to invite you to another larger event in the Desert in June, the slogan of which is DESERT CONNECTED US, in which emerging artists from Poland and the world will participate. I also invite people from the desert, i.e., people who will preach about the ideas of the desert during the conference, about its symbolism from various possible sides. The desert is invariably the background for Man, the meeting place. In 2023, I want to spread the project to the Deserts of the world. It will soon be revealed which Desert will be first, so stay tuned! Personally, I want to create an opportunity for my children to develop their passions and talents and to travel, but it all ties in with the Law of the Desert.

Finally, what are you working on right now? Anything exciting you would like to tell our readers? 

Now I am creating new paintings, and I invite you to the upcoming events within the Law of the Desert, with fascinating people who have similar ideas and want to support the Law of the Desert. This is the time to join forces, recruit patrons and sponsors, and establish new relationships. Somewhere, my inner world is running parallel and needs my attention. I am a highly sensitive person, which is why I invite highly sensitive people who also feel this way and understand what a great but also satisfying challenge it is to tame your sensitivity! To the excitement of the people with open hearts and great sensitivity, who are there for the truth. I am inviting you to the Law of the Desert. Be there!