When the right people meet at the right time incredible things happen. It was no different this time. Five like-minded, incredible artists with passion and love for creation decided to join forces and work together. Who they are, what they do and why? Luxury Splash of Art met these five very talented ladies and would like to introduce them to you.
LSA: Who are the Artist2Artist Exhibition group and how did it come to life?
Aga Sova: Artist2Artist is an independent group of artists based in London. We are all different but there is one thing we have in common: ART and love for creation. G.B Shaw said ‘You use a mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul’. We show the world through artistic eyes and we want to share this with the outside world.
As an artist I really missed a small community of artists who would meet, support each other, share experiences and knowledge. I wanted to bring like-minded creative people in one place, people ready to create something together. This is how the idea of the group was born and came to life. Although the group was growing it was not what I was hoping for so in October it was reborn and five artists decided to stay and move forward at full steam. Bozena Koj, Kamila Krzyzaniak, Marta Hubaczek, Ulla Ells Machnik and I (Aga Sova). We are all creating this beautiful space and at the moment we are getting ready for an online exhibition that will take place on 20th November on our Artist2Artist Exhibition fanpage. We invite you to join our world to see it through the eyes of an artist.
LSA: It is very impressive and so inspiring. All of you are very talented, where does the inspiration come from and how the journey as an artist started?
Marta Hubaczek: I developed love for drawing at a very early age. I remember when I was a child sitting on my mum’s laps, drawing her friend a portrait. That was my first memory of art I was creating. I still see that portrait in my head. It was pretty good for a four-year-old girl.
After years I was standing at a crossroad with my future and my mum advised me to choose the Fine Art School. I spent five incredible years there, exploring art history, amazing artists and many different techniques to create art. I experimented with many different artistic media such as oil, watercolour, acrylic painting, wood, glass sculpting, linocut, collages but always maintaining a strong commitment to pencil drawing. At the end of school I felt a little tired and annoyed with drawing and painting similar still life compositions and decided I needed a long break from it.
Years later, thanks to my friends Kasia Suchta and Monika Barabasz, who were constantly honing their skills, I felt the urge to create anew.
My work is based on and inspired by our connection with nature, space, personal transformation and all the emotions that move my body, mind and spirit. I love art as a way to express myself.
I find inspiration in everything that surrounds me. A lonely walk in the forest, observing incredible nature, morning meditation, lying in my hammock at five o’clock with a proper aromatic mug of coffee.
LSA: Thank you. I had a look at your Artist2Artist Exhibition Facebook page and your artworks are incredible, you all have different styles. Can you please tell me more about techniques you use?
Kamila Krzyzaniak: I am specialising in creating abstract pieces that focus on the feminine form, I love painting instinctively and enjoy freedom of expression. I work with Mixed Media using this technique with ink and pastel, painting and collage. All the techniques are combined in a single composition. The creative process starts by applying texture plaster and colours at the different opacity to form my vision. Over the years I have varied my style – as my work encompasses a mixture of portraits, horses, abstract and feminine figures.
LSA: Thank you Kamila, I read that you were commissioned to paint for the Royal Family in Qatar, your artworks are featured in renowned public, corporate and private collections around the world, which include: Qatar, Poland, Belgium, Spain and the UK. Very impressive and great achievements.
KK: Thank you.
LSA: Why do you paint? What does art gives you and where would you like it to take you in the future?
Bozena Koj: I do believe that everyone has a purpose in life, and the melody of soul which needs to be sung by one to create fulfilment in one’s everyday life. My purpose is definitely painting. I have been drawing ever since I can remember and painting in oil since my teenage days. In early 2012 I signed up for a ‘Drawing and Painting’ course at Morley College London. It was there that under the mentor by Denzil Forest, I developed new techniques and ways of painting. The classes gave me the opportunity to work with others who shared my passion. I work at my studio at home and do live painting in Artfix Woolwich, London. I find painting and drawing as a way of calming my mind and expressing my soul.
Where would I like my art to take me? To my own gallery where I would be able to promote new young artists and encourage them to live from their artwork
LSA: Do you think that art can be therapeutic?
Urszula Elshof Machnik: I am passionate about freedom in life and creation. With fascination and delight I always try to capture every aspect of what I observe and translate it into an image or painting.
I have been painting since I was a kid, it is in me, I was born that way. Instincts, maybe a compulsion, whatever it is, it has been that way since I can remember.
I am drawn to colours, nature in all its forms and abstract shapes too.
When working, I am totally absorbed, like in meditation. It is just me and a blank canvas. My creations are a pure reflection of my emotions and different moods from sadness to the deepest happiness. It can be very therapeutic in a way, creating is a form of meditation and thanks to it we connect with inner self, finding answers and peace. Painting is a very important part of my life. I am very grateful for the gift I was born with; it helped me to go through a tough time in my life. For me, the journey of creation is therapeutic, not the end result.
LSA: Thank you for your time. One last question where can we find you and how long is the online exhibition for? You are going to present your paintings but can we expect any other form of creation too?
AS: Thank you. It has been a pleasure. We can be found on Facebook @Artist2ArtistExhibition, an online exhibition starts on 20th November and will last till the end of the year. We will be presenting mainly our paintings however there will be space for hand painted silk scarves too. Stay tuned! Join us on 20th November
