10 Questions with Katia Hage
Born in Cameroon and raised in Lebanon during the civil war of 1975, Katia Aoun Hage moved to the United States, where she resides with her husband and three children. Her life is filled with music, poetry, writing, translation, painting, and running a publishing company, Elyssar Press, in Redlands. Katia loves to collaborate with artists and writers, such as choreographer Sofia Carrera at Riverside Community College, when they produced a poetry and dance performance entitled "Stand" with Intersect Dance Theater. She has a book, "After the War, the Women Spoke," published by Cholla Needles, where her artwork has also been featured in their monthly journal. She has contributed to the Lebanese blog "Red Lips High Heels" about social and cultural subjects. Lately, she served as a chair for TLAN, Transformative Language Arts Network. Katia listens deeply to the voices inside, of her own people and hers, becoming a bridge between past and present, east and west, through her poetry, translations, and artwork.
Katia Hage - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
I carry in my hands and heart the balance of many life experiences: war in childhood, being a refugee, an unconforming system of belief, being an immigrant, living with a terminal disease, and being in relationships with others. All of these come together to allow an openness of my sensitivities to observe, listen, and understand the ways we, as humans, are most connected. I have found art in its many forms of painting, calligraphy, poetry, theater, dance, and music to give me the tools to untangle my protective webs and soften the creative voice that leads me to the heart of the world.
Anger Explored, oil on canvas, 18x24 inch, 2010 © Katia Hage
INTERVIEW
First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What is your artistic background, and how did you start experimenting with images?
Hello, my name is Katia, and my life as a young person was marked by the civil war in Lebanon, and as an adult by immigration to the United States. I find solace and refuge in music, words, and colors. I follow the inclination of my body to work with these mediums as they allow me to express my hopes and deepest fears. To find peace and refuge from the devastating war, I turned to coloring and drawing geometric forms. Somehow, these images provided me as a child, a container of safety and colored a world that was crumbling into smoke and rubble. A very influential art class in school gave me the tools to work with charcoal and an introduction to oil paint. I am forever indebted to my art teacher. I picked up painting later in life as an immigrant in the US as a way to express the anger, trauma, and deep-seated sense of injustice.
Why are you an artist, and when did you first become one?
Being an artist opens up the space for me to be fully present in all my facets and to express the joy and challenges of my humanity. As I sat across from my choreographer friend Sofia Carreras, I asked her what makes our work art, and she responded: "If you say it is art, then it is." At that moment, as a 32-year-old woman, I realized that it is part of my nature. Then, it took time to feel comfortable in that identity.
Divine Presence, oil on canvas, 24x24 inch, 2010 © Katia Hage
You are originally from Cameroon, raised in Lebanon, and living in the USA. How do these different countries and environments shape the person you are today?
Each country imprints upon me its own culture, colors, perspectives on life, and how to bring meaning to it. Each one opens my awareness to a world infinitely rich and abundant, as well as allows the concept of beauty to be unlimited with possibilities.
Together with visual art, you also work with music, poetry, writing, and translation, and you run a publishing company. What do all these different experiences have in common? And do you think they influence each other in your practice?
All of these are an expression of the divine that exists in us and beyond us. They complement each other and influence each other in the use of words, skills, and materials. Running a publishing company becomes another vessel to bring to life words, ideas, cultures, and art. To connect people to the humanity they share with each other and with the environment they live in.
Al Atlalor Ruins, oil on canvas, 24x36 inch, 2021 © Katia Hage
Port of Entry, oil on canvas, 24x24 inch, 2021 © Katia Hage
You primarily work with painting. Why did you choose this medium specifically?
Every time I pick up an art form, I work primarily with it. It is challenging for me to mix art forms. When an idea or feeling wants to express itself, it chooses its own medium. My body, heart, and intelligence become the tools to bring to life what needs to be expressed. It is a call that I can only follow, or it disappears from my own world of creativity.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? How do you go from the first idea to the final outcome?
As an artist, I am constantly observing and full of curiosity. For a long time, I thought not creating was a block, but then I realized how much downtime is important for the creative process. It becomes like a wave with an ebb and a flow and a silent pause in between. In my life, the creative process relies mostly on the silent pause before movements overflow my senses to be expressed outwards. There is a lot of waiting, but when the idea shows up, work is fervent and passionate, almost unstoppable. Having a family to care for, close and extended, I had to carve time to create. Now, I have to say no to a lot of things to safeguard the time of creating that I have. Both of them are turning out to be difficult to achieve but not impossible.
What themes do you pursue with your work?
I have always been fascinated by what creates separation and/or connection within myself and, by extension, within the world where I belong. The themes of my work tend to go around that search for self and, by extension, cultural expression and longing to connect with others.
Divided childhood, oil and paper on wood, 23x23 inch, 2019 © Katia Hage
Soul of a Woman, oil on canvas, 91x12 inch, 2012 © Katia Hage
How do you promote your work? And what advice would you give to an emerging artist in that regard?
I pick the venues for promoting very selectively. I am very sensitive to rejection, which can cause me a few months of depression and self-deprecation. I wait and read carefully what the gallery, publishing company, and venues are looking for, and if that fits my work, then I present it. Once that initial connection happens, I would love to build the relationship to become meaningful and enriching for both of us. My advice is to be truthful to one's own art and way of expression because there is always a venue or place that will want to have that kind of expression. Safeguard your soul and protect it. Being hurt may toughen the skin, but it is not a necessity and not for everyone.
What do you think about the art community? Do you feel you have found your place in there?
The art community is as diverse as its people. I can say that I have found a few niches and smaller groups where I feel accepted and encouraged. If I am able to meet more artists, they are almost always such an inspiration and encouragement to keep choosing my path.
Finally, are there any projects you are looking forward to for this year?
There is always space for the outburst of some unexpected project, but for now, I am playing with a few ideas that can reveal the cultural preconceptions embedded in us, as well as discovering music through the traditional instrument of the Levant: the qanun and the invitation it has for me as a Western-taught musician and Lebanese-raised listener.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
