Interview
Judit Nagy L.
Judit Nagy L. — LNJ — was born in Slovakia and currently lives in Switzerland. She was encouraged to create art at the age of five and received recognition as a young talent in the National Youth Art Competition in Slovakia.
The multi-talented artist proceeded to attain a Masters degree in Civil Engineering, built a family and business life, and walked the Way El Camino de Santiago for her 40th birthday. As a professional artist she has had eleven exhibitions and/or presentations in Switzerland and has been featured in several magazines and online galleries.
LNJ is not just a painter, a visual artist, but she is a creative person who moves forward by inspiration. She knows deeply that painting, like all creative activities, is just one tool that leads to self-expression and self-development.
Judit knows that in reality we do not 'create', but we are more of a co-worker in the process of creation, which we embody. We draw out what is already present. For her, success is not driven by marketing, rather, she believes in the value of both uncompromising and high quality Judit strives to develop her own expression with deep sincerity by reflecting the spirit of the place she inhabits and seeking her own destiny.
What is your name and background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My artist name is Judit Nagy L. or LNJ, which is my signature that you will find handwritten on all my original works. I added the letter "L." to my maiden name (which is very common in Central Europe, especially in Hungary) as a tribute to my great-grandfather (Lantody), who originally came from France.
I am a kind of human cuvée: I belong to the Hungarian minority from my fatherland, the Slovak Republic and I have been living permanently in Switzerland since 2015.
When I think about the beginning of my journey into the world of art, for as long as I can remember, I have always seen and felt myself as an artist.
My second start (or re-start) as an artist happened in my chosen country, Switzerland. And for this new beginning (by now in all areas of my life), the Camino 2011 was the accelerator and the most important impulse.
In short: I met my husband Stefan there and by his side I have the strength, freedom and possibilities for new beginnings with a new career. Today I consider myself a wine painter, for which I left behind my old life as a former civil engineer with a Master's degree.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“The art I create focuses on a few themes, with the ultimate goal of nourishing the creative soul in all who contemplate it, and enriching the lives of those who possess it forever.
A few years before, my focus was on symbolism, and I wanted to express myself with a mixture of abstraction and symbolism. This has changed over time and I tend to now lean towards figurative paintings, in which we humans are the focus. For both my ‘eras’, I used bright colours and mixed them in an unconventional, so to speak, unregulated way. Myself and the colours are good friends, and we work together in a freedom so that I can express my feelings authentically.
I believe that the art world needs to think and reflect on current social and political issues - and for me these two areas cannot be separated. In my case this means that I have opened an art-body with the name DIVOC. DI is Latin and means to separate and VOC also comes from Latin where it has the meaning CALL or VOICE. There are 3 artworks in my collection (saatchiart) under this title.
In parallel with my ArtBodies for 2022-23, I plan to return to my art style from my youth and renew it in the near future. A request from an art residency in Sicily inspired me to take this step. It is a series of minimalist-style artworks in homage to Mount Etna, the wine straight from the island of Sicily and the spirit of the place.”
“‘Love is the most powerful of transformations’ - these are not just words - if you take the chance to engage in this process of alchemy, with trust and a willingness to do the work, those words can be a reality.”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“None. I am working on making my own specific voice clear(er). My only goal is to be, and stay, authentic.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“It's a mixture of both parts. I make plans, sketches, write down words with ideas that come to me, etc. Then I invite the energy to engage in the process where we breathe together in creation.
When I paint with music (Art-body: Painted Melody/ Melody on Canvas), the improvisation during the painting process becomes much more prominent.”
What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?
“As a special form of art, I create mixed media art using real wine, liquor, soil from the vineyards and spices. The following is an explanation of the terms I have developed for my painting techniques:
WINEporTRAIT© - is created with real wine and soil from the exact vineyard. It is a portrait of the wine itself: how I ‘see’ and feel the wine after tasting it. This process was developed by myself and requires a good technical knowledge and a longer time to create. I have called this style IVVArt - In Vino Veritas Art Method©. The COA includes a written report of the painting process and the data of the wine.
Winepainting - can include more than one wine paste and the COA does not include details of the wine(s).
ReMixArt - is a type of upcycling or re-recycling art where something new and special, or even exclusive, is created from old materials.
Spirit of Art - Art of Spirit - Art is Spirit: is a further development of the IVVArt method© in which I use spirits (gin, raspberry brandy, etc.) and real spices directly from the distillery.
+: Acrylic on stretched canvases and smaller contemporary installations or drawings on paper are also part of my artistic portfolio.”
What does your art mean to you?
“This is me, how I express myself. It is my life. I am not sure how I would continue if creating ART was not an option for me.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“‘Brother Sun, Sister Moon’, the very first WINEporTRAIT of mine. Despite the fact that I am much further and better with the technique, this painting is what I consider the Alfa & Omega for my career.”
Please tell us about any previous exhibitions you found noteworthy and wish to share.
“I have found the most interesting and innovative way of exhibiting in a cooperation with ArtInside Gallery (see more here) - Art in Augmented Reality, where I equipped my private gallery with 5 rooms (pavilions), each with 5 paintings.
My gallery name is: Judit Nagy L. - LNJ / IVVArt - In Vino Veritas Art. (See links below)
I welcome any viewers to visit my selected works in 3D ‘reality’!”
