Interview
Alma Čače
Alma Čače is a contemporary artist currently living and working in Split, Croatia.
After graduating from the School of Fine Arts and Design in Split, she enrolled in the Arts Academy, and graduated from the Department of Fine Arts and Restoration.
She is a member of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists Split, and the Croatian Community of Independent Artists since 2013.
She actively exhibits her works and has been the conductor of art workshops.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I grew up on the island of Vis, in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. My education was always in the art field. After I graduated from the High School of Art and Design, I attended the Arts Academy in Split.
Soon after, I moved back to Vis to open an atelier. My first solo exhibition, showing mostly my college student work, took place in my hometown. During this time, I created two series of paintings around the theme of a small town. The collection ‘Moments in Komiža’ is a series of large oil paintings. The other collection, mainly in smaller formats, features collages on cardboard, oil paintings on wood, as well as frames built from wood and items found while beachcombing.
I returned to the mainland to work on art restoration in Split and Dubrovnik. Since then I have painted regularly, displaying my work in many exhibitions in Split and neighboring cities. I now wish to show my work to a broader public.”
What inspires you?
“I’m inspired by people and their surroundings, with emphasis on the sea and seashores. The connecting line between the land and the sea is very intriguing to me, in an artistic sense.
Being in nature is my way of relaxation, so I try to visit the coves and beaches as much as possible. There, I photograph my future motifs and collect the materials which I later recycle in various ways to create painting tools, canvas or frames.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“An important theme in my life and art is the idea of layering, sedimentation and traces left on the canvas in the same way that nature leaves traces on surfaces. It explains my fascination with the way a natural tool, like a plant or dry palm leaf, forms a unique line or a trace.
At one time I delved into calligraphy, but instead of calligraphy ink, I used slightly dissolved black acrylic paint on transparent foil or canvas. By doing that, I was able to produce much larger formats while capturing the essence of the technique. These works were presented during my latest exhibition, ‘Metabolism’. The title is very meaningful and helps to understand the ideas behind my work. Metabolism indicates the processes inside a living organism that sustain life by exchanging and growing, while keeping its structure and reacting to the surroundings.”
“I find the process of creating and realizing new ideas very meaningful. Something irregular or a mistake inspires me to think of a way to move in an unexpected direction.
I love it when a painting is not limited by its title, so that the meaning is formed by the observer, who finds a detail that can tell them a personal story.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work can be described as lyrical abstraction/expressionism depicting freedom and simplicity. In my latest series ‘Metabolism’, composition is reduced to mere essentials.
The cliffs on the southern shores of my island have always made a strong impression on me, with their size and structure. The constant connection with the mighty sea forces has formed a coexistence, and that is where I find the soul of my work. The feeling of that energy grows in me until it finds a way to come out onto the canvas and express itself, like a volcano.”
Which artists influence you most?
“The artists who influenced me the most are Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. But alongside them are also plenty of young artists whose work I find inspiring and close to my work.”
What is your creative process like?
“I begin the process of painting with visual stimuli, but I soon move on and forget about them in order to make new abstract forms. Working with tools that leave unusual traces and structure helps me achieve that. The guiding principle is imitating nature and remaining sensitive to the new and unusual. The layering of the painting is often achieved by adding an accent color. I experiment with the image format itself, which I often rotate in the process to make something unexpected appear. My paintings have a simple composition, but they are artistically rich in structure and layering. Even the residues of my tools can sometimes be found on the paintings.
I like routine, but I also like starting new collections. I execute what I’ve imagined fairly quickly. I often need to step back so I don't overdo my expression. Usually, the concept just comes to me. I guess it’s inseparable from my way of life and current interests. I usually walk with a sketchpad in my bag, ready to document everyday life. That once resulted in an exhibition, ‘Drawings from a drawer’. I used the laminate technique to put the drawings on a wooden surface and combine them in larger groups and compositions.
Designing a concept and providing the necessary material is 70% of the work. I do the rest in my daily visits to the atelier. Online presence on social networks is also an important part of this job.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I see art as a break from everyday life. Art provides refuge, and helps us relax and connect with ourselves. It can be a powerful tool of drawing attention to social issues. It does not communicate directly, so it requires us to use the right side of our brain, awakening our emotions, which can have greater impact than the mind's arguments.
I would like to see artists having bigger audiences in order to make their impact on the collective more significant. Hence the importance of online presence.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Over the years, I've had more than 30 exhibitions, but I would like to single out some that were significant to me personally:
2021:
Metabolism, gallery KVART. The theme of the Metabolism series is coastal horizon, the space where the sea and the land connect. It is a continuation of the Connecting Line collection. I was focused on formats and backgrounds in relation to space. That is why I created multi-layered works on transparent foil and placed them in illuminated niches. The space was incorporated into the concept, thus adding more layering, that is an important aspect of my expression. The level of research, the deep connection between the meaning of the word used for the title and the artistic concept of the series, accompanied with an outstanding catalogue, marks an important stepping stone in my work.2020:
Art fair Nesvrstani, Lauba, Zagreb.2019:
Crta koja spaja/Connecting Line, Southeast Diocletian's Tower - a new collection that grew into Metabolism series. A true synergy of space that holds the exhibition and the work displayed. The magnificence of ancient roman architecture with monumental stone structures, a closed cube that holds the heritage of time passed, together with large format abstract calligraphy paintings, gave a sense of harmony and timeless elegance. The exhibition was held in the center of Split, highly frequented and well received.2018:
5th Drawing Triennial, Zagreb.2015:
Natura maris, Auditorium des Carmes, Vannes.
Split Salon, Representations of Division, author's work: ‘Split rubik’.2008:
Drawing Triennial, Zagreb, Glyptotheque.2007:
Split Salon, Partial systematic review, Bačvice Aquarium, Split.2003:
Collage exhibition, Alliance Francaise Gallery, Dubrovnik.”
