Interview
Anez Ka
Malta-based contemporary artist, Anez Ka, creates abstract paintings that radiate with vibrant colours, strike with powerful contrasts and intrigue with unique texture combinations. Throughout her life, Anez Ka has been searching for the perfect way to express her creativity. The search continued through music, design, photography and concluded with abstract painting. Abstract art gives her the feeling of a complete freedom and honesty; a safe space without limitations, manipulations, judgement, hidden agendas or false pretences.
The beauty of the nature but also the mundane life are Anez Ka's sources of inspiration. The topic of emotions is also oftentimes exploited in her works. Her favourite part of the creation process is experimenting with colours, materials, tools and textures. She combines the traditional brush strokes with less conventional techniques like splashing, spilling or swiping. The combination of techniques and colours creates a mysterious realm, dreamlike space which invites the spectator to look inside themselves in the search of the freedom lost and inner honesty.
For Anez Ka the most fundamental part of the creation process is to leave the viewer a complete freedom of interpretation - “My art is an invite for everyone to dig deeper. I will feel honoured and thrilled when people pause their busy lives for just one moment and try to connect not only with my artwork but with themselves.”
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born and concluded my education in the most beautiful, magical and artistic city of Poland, Krakow. I currently live in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, in the sunny Malta. Together with my family, we very much enjoy and appreciate the Mediterranean way of life and I think the spirit of Malta and the Mediterranean is reflected in my paintings – the colour, the contrast, the vibration, the textures resembling the rocky landscapes...”
With regards to art, art has been present in my life in different shapes or forms since I was a child - music, design, film, dance, photography. I feel like I have been searching for years for the perfect way to fully express my creativity but there was always something standing in the way or missing. For instance, having studied film and visual media, my interest in photography was somewhat implied but the technical aspect and the amount of gear required felt just too overwhelming; Also, I found it stressful that I may miss the perfect shot and there is no second chance, you just can’t go back in time. This is so different from creating abstract art where I work on my own, there is no time pressure or limits - I can make changes or try different things out. The slow pace relaxes me and the ability to make additions or complete makeovers is very exciting.
Now, with regards to the beginnings of my journey with abstract art, it’s a weird story actually. This journey started completely randomly. One day I felt this sudden need to paint. I went to the shop, bought some supplies and started experimenting and learning. This process of learning and reinventing myself brought me a lot of joy and excitement. To a bystander it surely looked like an obsession.
While working on my collection “Emotions”, late in 2022, I experienced an epiphany. It was a breakthrough as I finally decided to follow art and to share my work with the outside world and so here, we are. I’m very excited about the next chapter. It’s a bag of mixed emotions – anticipation, fear, happiness. There are so many uncertainties however creating abstract art gives me the feeling of a complete freedom and honesty; a safe space without limitations, manipulations, judgement, hidden agendas or false pretenses. So different to the corporate world which I have been part of for such a long time!”
What inspires you most?
“Given the fact that my journey with abstract art started here in Malta, I treat Malta as my muse and I will always be grateful for this experience. Being situated on the outskirts of Europe, just south of Sicily and east of Tunisia, Malta presents a diverse and vibrant culture, strange mix of influences. There is something magical and invigorating when you get to wake up into a bright sunlight almost every day! In general, I think the beauty of the nature is the main source of inspiration for me - the warmth, the sun, the brightness of the crystal waters, the rocks, the stars, heavy rain… (Yes, it does rain sometimes here as well and when it does it is epic!)”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I was never good with words, so not sure if I can explain this properly. To cover this, I need to start why abstract art resonates with me so strongly. It’s based on the concepts of intuition, spontaneity, honesty and a complete freedom of both creation and interpretation.
When you look around, and especially relate this to the past 3 years, you will see that there is not much left of the concept of freedom and honesty. There is so much fake in this world that it’s unbelievable. It feels like we live in the world of fake news, fake boobs and nobody knows what’s real anymore. Our lives are very busy and we seem to get more and more disconnected from each other but also detached from ourselves. We spend hours on social media only to get in return an illusion of inclusion. It feels like our minds are subject to constant brainwashing and propaganda (has anyone heard of fact checkers before?). We’ve lost the sense of freedom; common sense is as good as gone. I feel like we are being told what our choices should be and the reality seems more and more imprisoning.
When I was working on my last collection, “Emotions”, I felt like I was going on a journey deep down. It was a very liberating event which I wish everyone can experience. I wish the spectators of my art pause for a second, self-reflect and ask questions: what do I see? Do I feel anything? Does this painting resonate with me? Or do I like it because it has a zillion likes on social media?
The underlying message is the act of self-reflection and finding the way back to feel free and honest with yourself. I will feel honoured and thrilled when people pause their busy lives for just one moment and try to connect not only with my artwork but with themselves.”
“When I was working on my last collection, “Emotions”, I felt like I was going on a journey deep down. It was a very liberating event which I wish everyone can experience.”
How would you describe your work?
“I find it difficult to title my works and to label my style in general. When I look at my collections and the whole body of my work collectively, I see couple of trends such as heavily textured or highly saturated artwork on one side and those forming more minimalist style on the other. Even though they may seem completely different or contradictory, the commonalities are striking - the combination of techniques, layering, colours and powerful contrasts create a mysterious and chic realm, dreamlike space which forms a coherent style full of elegance where every little detail is carefully thought through.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Not sure where I saw it but I found it very true – it was a post stating that people should support and buy from the living artists, as the dead ones no longer need any support. I couldn’t agree more and it’s pretty much the same with inspiration for me. While I appreciate the works of the great masters, I feel like I’m more grounded in here and now, hence I’m more influenced by the modern trends.
There are so many talented people around with great content within photography, art, design, fashion but also food blogs and lifestyle in general. All these channels can provide great sources of inspiration for someone who enjoys visual images and is able to translate them into their own unique style. And as a bonus you can actually connect with the content makers and ask questions which is a great added value of the social media nowadays.”
What is your creative process like?
“If I was to describe it with one word, I would pick the word “lengthy”.
I see the inspiration coming in distinctive waves. When it strikes, the process is very spontaneous.
Mostly, it’s a rough idea of a texture or a colour that is on my mind. I pick the textures, then the palette. Very rarely I have a sketch or a draft. Usually, there is no specific plan and I let the creativity to carry me away. Once the textures are dry, the painting is ready to be filled with multiple layers of colours. This is the time-consuming part. I create multiple layers until I obtain the desired harmony, depth and the intensity of the painting. It happens that I’m not happy and I add different colours or change the palette entirely until I achieve the final satisfaction and the “this is it!” moment. If there is a slightest uneasy feeling about something, I make a change. Then, the painting is varnished for protection and voila!”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
The role of an artist in society is not only to create works of beauty and emotional meaning but to provoke thought and free discussion. I think the role of an artist evolves more into activism which allows people to work together to create change, have a direct impact both locally and globally.
Activism is a great way to bring attention to issues that may be overlooked or misunderstood and to inspire others to take action.
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’m discussing couple of options with regards to exhibitions for 2023 but I have nothing concrete as yet. I’m sure I will be able to participate in interesting collaborations both online and on site. I’m very excited about what future holds!”
