Justyna Wichrowska
We can
read on Ania Tomnicka’s website that she was born in Łódź and
lived there until the age of nine when she moved to the faraway
South. The
place she reached is probably the ultimate heaven for artists.
No,
it’s not the South
Pole.
Nesoart: Where did you go after you left Poland?
Ania:
I live in Florence – a place that has undoubtedly influenced my art
and way of thinking. I’m surrounded by the spirits of the great
masters and
their artwork that inspires me every day.
Nesoart: What else inspires you?
Ania:
My feelings, situations that I experience every day and the great
masters of the past of course.
Nesoart: Can you guide us a bit through your creative process?
Ania:
I never end up painting precisely what I want.
I like it very much when the effect is
different from the original idea. It changes, starts living its own
life, and I’m very curious what willl come out of it.
Nesoart: How would you define your work? Can you wrap it up in a few
words?
Ania: Oh… I’d rather somebody else defined my artwork. I only paint
what I feel in a particular moment.
Nesoart: Do you listen to music while painting?
Ania:
Sometimes I do. My favourite genre is heavy metal and progressive
rock. I also like classic
music very much. Sometimes I play music from documentary films too.
/// As
we're pretty much into the influence of music on perception lately,
try this: play one of the genres of music Ania likes, and then „leap
into her paintings”. You'll see what I mean when you later try to
listen to something completely different.
Nesoart: You paint a lot of characteristic creatures with spiky ears and
glowing eyes. Do they have a name? Are they trying to tell us
something?
Ania:
Yes, each of them is called “ciccetto”. In Italian, it means more
or less that they're very sweet and cute on the surface, but in
reality they're not –
they are evil. I think they reflect
an evil part of me. It’s a part that I can never get rid of, no
matter how hard I try to fight it.
Nesoart: Very interesting. I guess everybody owns a specially dedicated
cicetto ;)
Nesoart: How about your interests?
Ania:
Cooking, dountlessly.
I love food and everything connected with it. My other passions are
reading about practically everything. I've recently discovered video
games, and I'm struggling not to get addicted to them ;)
Nesoart: Do you observe what's currently happening in the visual arts
market? Do you have favourite artists?
Ania:
Yes, I observe every artist whom I am able to find on the Internet. I
love watching their artistic development.
Nesoart: Have you recently come
across somebody interesting?
Ania:
Yeah, now my favourites are Martin Wittfooth and Kris Lewis.
Nesoart: Surely their works aren’t the cheapest ones… ;) Do you
happen to buy works by other artists? Do you own a private
collection? ;)
Ania:
I intend to start having one. But buying my own house is the
priority.
Nesoart: Speaking of which …. Do you visit Poland often?
Ania:
Every 5 or 6 years. It’s been a long time since the last visit.
Nesoart: So it seems you’re probably going to visit us soon, aren’t
you? ;)
Ania:
I would like to very much ;) Most of all I want to show my boyfriend
where I was born and how good the food and beer taste :D and of
course how beautiful a country it is!
Nesoart: He may like it. Let’s come back to your artwork. Do you
remember drawing or painting your first picture?
Ania:
No. I’ve been drawing since I can remember, so I’m not able to
determine which one it was.
Nesoart: One of the features of your art that has drawn my attention is
strong focus on eyes and their unique expression. What do you see
when you look into somebody else’s eyes?
Ania:
I’m a very empathic person. I like observing people’s eyes and
what they convey. Besides, eyes are the only thing I like in my
appearance. I think it may be one of the reasons why I accentuate
them in my paintings.
Nesoart: You write on your website that you are very fond of renaissance
paintings. I guess we know now why you chose Florence ;)
Ania:
Sure! I’ve always been paying close attention to the paintings of
the masters of renaissance art. I constantly try to hone my skills by
learning more about their techniques and methods.
Neso
Art: There’s no better inspiration. Do you have favourite artists
from that period? Do you prefer Italian or Dutch painting?
Ania:
I think Leonardo da Vinci was the best renaissance painter. And I
also think that both currents together with their characteristics and
artists were great.
Nesoart: Can you tell us what you’re currently working on?
Ania:
Most of all I try to meet all deadlines. I work for a couple of
collectives in the USA and also on my mini-exhibition in Swoon
Gallery in Los Angeles.
Nesoart: Good luck then! Many thanks for the conversation. We wish you
the conquest of the universe ;)
If you want to explore more Ania's Art, check out
See you soon
TH&Stary Van Dam Starry
Justyna Wichrowska
