10 Questions with Nuria González Alcaide

Nuria González Alcaide (Barcelona, 1995) is a self-taught visual abstract artist. She took a Contemporary Art workshop at the Metàfora Academy (Barcelona) and has carried on online courses taught by MoMa (USA) and the FotoCreativaBA Artists Program “FotoComBA" (Argentina). Right now Nuria is doing a Masters in Graphic Design at ESDESIGN (Barcelona).
She has participated in collective exhibitions in Vic, Madrid and London, where she has been finalist in the competition organized by Southbank Printmakers (London). She has also been published by Al-Tiba9 and Art Reveal Magazine, and she has done online residencies with Mango (Argentina) and WOC (Bulgaria) and has participated in the art fairs Artist360 (Madrid) and The Other Art Fair Virtual Edition (by Saatchi Art).
Nuria has been part of the MacFest 2022 in Cava de' Tirreni (Italy) with two of her artworks, a festival where art, music and culture unifies to create a different experience.

www.nuriartt.com | @nuriaalcaide_art

ARTIST STATEMENT

“As a child, for every store I passed, I took a business card.
Every place I visited, I bought a postcard.
And each pencil point that broke when it was sharpened, I kept them in a little box along with all the others.

Accumulate.

As I grew up and entered adulthood, I stopped putting together different objects that caught my attention and began to collect emotions and feelings. Thoughts and life situations have shaped the person I am today.

There are days when I have so much information in my head that I wish I could go back to collecting pencil nibs.

In the end, I have realized that all those emotions and feelings come and go and only stay if I decide to. I have realized that the best way to live is not accumulating what I perceive from others, but being able to skin my emotions until they become strokes (of paint).” - Nuria González Alcaide

INTERVIEW

You are a young and self-taught artist, but have already participated in many exhibitions and competitions internationally. How did you start getting interested in art? And what keeps you motivated?

As a child, I have always painted; I went to art classes after school, and I was very good at it. Little by little, I left it as I grew older and understood what life was about. So I decided to study Hotel Management and worked as a chef in gastronomic restaurants for seven years. But then the pandemic hit, and I started to feel uncomfortable at work, in the kitchen. I began to question many things, and one of them was if I was really doing what I felt and what I had dreamed of as a child. So without much thought, I left my old profession behind and embarked on the world of art, not really knowing how it worked but happy because I was being true to myself and, therefore, to others.
What motivates me when painting is being able to find the connection between the observer and my work. What I pretend is to make them feel uncomfortable with what they see, because at that moment, they are looking inside of them and facing their true emotions. I want to put them in a state of mind they don't expect or don't know it can exist. I want to awake them as I did.

What do you wish you knew about contemporary art before you got started?

Actually, nothing. Everything I have done so far is because of research, networking, and studying, so I am gradually discovering my path in art. Even if someone had told me "do A or B", I don't think it would have made things easier. Life is a path where you find stones, bushes, and rivers, and you decide what to do with them. In art, it's the same. It's a very long road, along which I want to let myself be surprised.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

My work is based on observation. In the morning, I get to my studio, change my clothes, put on some music, make some tea, and start looking at what I did (or didn't do) the day before. Until there comes a time when I know what color is going to go there, I start mixing them and being surprised by what the canvas will tell me. 
I create all colors from the three primaries, plus white, brown, and black. The fact of mixing and searching for the colors that the painting needs is a very important moment in my process. I usually have pieces of paper full of colored strokes, combinations, and little sketches. I can spend a whole morning observing and making only one stroke on the canvas. It is a constant search for the connection with the canvas; the work can be on the right track, and suddenly I can add a stroke that completely spoils it. But that's what I'm looking for; build and destroy. Do and redo. It's like life; you can't pretend to plan everything because suddenly, an unexpected event comes and turns you upside down.

What is the most challenging part of your work? And where do you find inspiration?

There are times when I feel a lot of anger and hate. Other sadness, anxiety. And when I pick up the brush, those emotions are reflected in the painting, in the way of painting. Finding balance and being objective with those emotions is a great challenge in my work. I've learned that I don't have to stop painting when I can't find the connection to the canvas; on the contrary, I have to add all the paint I feel I have to put.
My great source of inspiration is the color itself. I study color and try to create unusual combinations. For me, color is everything; everything we see, do, and even hear has a color. What is life without color? Nothing. 
I also take photographs for inspiration, generally from the top side of the buildings and nature. Now that I am in Indonesia, this is a great source of inspiration because everything is so different from what I'm used to seeing.

Tell us more about your abstract painting. What does it represent for you? Do you have any specific theme you want to focus on?

My work tries to make the viewer feel uncomfortable; I want to wake them up and put them in a state of mind that they didn't expect. Most of the people who stop to see my work do so because they have felt something unexpected, they do not understand what it is, but it has made them stop to discover it. It disturbs them and upsets them. I always end up talking about their emotions and how they perceive life. Art exists to stir you up, to feel that spark within you. If a painting doesn't bother you inside, is it really a painting? The most important thing for me is to be honest with yourself and do what you really feel, that you stop hiding your real emotions and do what they tell you.

Do you have a role model from which you've drawn inspiration when creating your art?

Yes, I do. The abstract expressionists in New York in the '50s are my biggest inspiration; Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Bernett Newman, Agnes Martin, Yayoi Kusama, etc. It's not about what they created but how they approach their canvases, the meaning of their brushstrokes, and the reflections on their vision of art.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

Just now, I moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. I never thought I could spend a season here, so I am grateful and being very inspired by the culture, colors, and people. I'm going to start a collection of small works on paper with all this inspiration.
I have many plans for the future; the most immediate one is to start the Master's in Graphic Design, where I will be able to develop more skills and enter the world of digital art. I want to exhibit in the Asian art market as well as continue to exhibit in Europe. I really want to find a gallery or curator with whom I can work in the long term, someone I can trust and who will help me grow my artistic career.

Do you find that the shift to digital exhibitions and art fairs has helped you promote your work?

Absolutely. I have done several virtual exhibitions, and all the residencies and workshops have been virtual and very useful. As an emerging artist, the virtual world is a great possibility since they can see you from home and they can contact you directly if they are interested. In addition, there are many important and remarkable galleries and institutions in the art world that offer you that possibility.

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

First, I want to keep improving my art and reach more people who feel identified with what I do and say. Also, I want to be part of relevant collective exhibitions to do my first solo exhibition in 2023. Finally, I want to collaborate with a brand to create a product with my work in it, making connections with other creatives is also a great motivation for my career.

Regarding personal life, I want to continue traveling and getting to know the world and all the cultures that exist in it.

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?

Not about me, but about you. We only have one life and many moments to do what we really feel. Free yourself from the stigmas and beliefs of others and look for your own. We each have our inner voice that will completely change our vision of life when we listen to it. Thank you for reading this far!