Interview
Eva Breitfuss
Award-winning contemporary artist Eva Breitfuss was born and resides in Germany. She is self-taught in the Arts and believes that no matter what the endeavor, be it in artistic expression or the most mundane task, everything can be approached creatively and with clear presence. Eva believes that Consciousness is the foundation of all reality, the source of all creativity. For over 35 years, she has been exploring the field of Consciousness, multidimensional awareness and personal transformation.
Primarily a visual artist, Eva has also brought her considerable creative energy to different modalities of movement, dance and working with others who long to enter the vast space of Consciousness and connect with their own soul. She invites others to join her in this exploration through her website: Der Leere Raum/ The Empty Space. You can read all about it here.
Eva calls her artwork ‘Art Of Presence’. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the USA, Italy, France, Monaco, UK, Spain and Germany. Her work has been highlighted in newspaper and magazine articles and has been acquired for several international private and corporate collections.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“As long as I can remember, freedom, creativity and beauty have been driving forces in my life. I have a medical, healing science background. Studying the human body through several modalities of movement and contemporary dance marked the beginning of my journey into more fundamental questions of life, our capacity for expanded awareness and presence and the desire to express creatively. Now, in my art studio, which I call ‘Art of Presence’, I explore the relationship between consciousness and energy.
Though drawing and painting have always been a part of my life, it was only 15 years ago that I felt moved to bring the work out to a wider audience, thus beginning my journey as a professional artist. It evolved very naturally and is a culmination of my study and work in movement, dance, healing science and Consciousness.”
What inspires you?
“There is no limit to inspiration. I never know what might inspire me. I find great inspiration by being out in nature, observing the light and being surrounded by beauty of any kind.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My central concern is to explore and transform energies of time, space and nature through art. In my studio ‘Art of Presence’, I have been exploring multidimensional levels of awareness and the creative process through various modalities and artistic expressions. The ‘underlying message’ of my work is a reflection of a deep passion for connecting and communicating with the creative source.
I believe that ultimate reality, some refer to as the Unknown, is accessible and that we are able to connect and co-create with it. It is a communication with Soul and is no longer relegated solely to the various wisdom traditions but is now being mirrored in science with the understanding that Consciousness is the foundation of all that exists. We are that Consciousness. It is not outside ourselves, not something we reach for but rather an internal truth that is revealed in moments when we open to Silence, the vast reality where all potential exists. It is pure presence, vibrant and alive. My work begins there, in Silence. In that open awareness creative energy arises. I meet it with presence and connect with it directly.
My work is an ever-evolving process of deeper communion and connection with inner reality. It is a reflection of direct communication with Consciousness and allowing it to express itself in an act of co-creation. It is a dance, a union with my soul. Working in this way I feel it as an invitation to continually strip away all that interferes with that clear connection. ‘Art of Presence’ is an invitation to enter into deeper levels of awareness. Ultimately my paintings are an act of co-creation with Soul.”
How would you describe your work?
“My intention is to inspire an opening to consciousness, to presence, and greater awareness. Whether understood or not, we each have the capacity to awaken to our own soul. My work is an expression of that truth. My paintings are an invitation. Regardless of the medium, Consciousness is at the center and I begin there. In the paintings, I start from the center of concentric circles, structures and lines. Though seemingly simple, it is the quintessence of a greater reality, quiet yet dynamic. I feel it as visual poetry where color and texture can transmit feelings, emotions and energy. Much can be expressed with only lines, dots and the silence between them.
Color is of prime importance in my work. It represents the light reflected in each one of us. Every painting arises from the center of being, from a stillness that is dynamic, alive and vibrant.
My paintings are very personal expressions. Yet, at the same time, they are an attempt to get closer to the soul of who we are at our most essential level.”
Which artists influence you most?
“There is no individual artist that has a direct influence on me. And this is the way with artists. Ultimately we are alone with the creative impulse. It’s said that there is nothing new and yet each personal expression is unique. The work of others touches me, encourages and inspires me. Some great artists that have captured my interest include Lucio Fontana, René Magritte, Hilma af Klint and Leonardo da Vinci.”
“Color has became an important feature within my work. It represents the light reflected in each one of us. Every painting arises from the center and is embedded into stillness and dynamics. They are related to my person, and at the same time, they are an attempt to get closer to the soul of the human being. This may contribute to experiencing a new quality of perception.”
What is your creative process like?
“For me, the most inspiring part of creating is the process itself. It begins with a desire, a sudden urge or restlessness that leads me to start. Sometimes months can go by without feeling the desire to create. I allow whatever arises and trust in the process. Trust is the key here. To wait, open in stillness, allowing whatever wants to be birthed to arise. The artworks evolve from the arising impulse. Every one of my artworks begins in this way and is a journey into the Unknown. It can be a painting in oil, pastel, acrylic or even threads on canvas. It might be expressed as a drawing with ink or tea or a photograph. Though the techniques may be different there is always a commonality.
I’m interested in investigating the structure of light. For me color and shape are alive and I sense the dynamic relationship between all of the elements in whatever is being called forth.
I believe that if we allow ourselves to go beyond the thinking mind, it’s possible to experience beyond time and space, the wider reality, a new awareness.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“What are we looking for as artists? We are looking for the best qualities in humanity: Courage, Love, Kindness, Compassion, Sincerity, and Honesty. We are living in a world that is desperate for change. The old answers and ways of doing things don’t work anymore. No matter how much we try to think our way out of humanity’s current dilemmas, it simply does not work. New ways will not be found outside ourselves but rather in going inward to the source of all potential and communicating with Consciousness. I believe that solutions will arise from that communion. Artists have the potential to pave the way.
I see the artist’s role in society as one that calls the viewer out of their comfort zone, to open to new ideas. The expansiveness of creativity nudges us into places never before conceived or imagined. I believe that art can take the viewer beyond what’s known and points the way to new ways of perceiving. The artist’s role in entering the creative process is to shine a light into the Unknown, illuminating potentials never before considered. Art has the potential to shift consciousness.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’ve had solo shows in Germany and Italy. I have also enjoyed being part of group shows in New York City, Miami, Florence, Milan, Palermo, Paris, Cannes, London, Madrid, Monaco.
This year I received 2 awards: The ‘Universal Artist’, Leonardo Da Vinci International Art Prize and ‘Master of Art’, Caravaggio International Art Prize. I feel very honored to have received these awards. For me, the work is such a natural outpouring; an expression of a deep internal creative connection and it’s wonderful to be recognized in this way.”
