Interview
Karolina Iljinaitė
Karolina is a Lithuanian artist, based in the Netherlands. She finally found herself through art after being lost for so long. She is finally finding her own style. A style that can feel egocentric and selfish at times. She is trying to get rid of a label "people pleaser" and going through her ADHD journey. She is letting herself breathe in the chaos without limitations. Her art is full of symbolism and personal meaning.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“It's not often that you have to answer such a question. It's not difficult, but I don't have enough memory to answer it. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I don't remember when I started. Probably in kindergarten, like other children. But I never stopped doing it. During my school and university years, I drew both for myself and for others. But only recently have I begun to forget and reject realism and go fully on my own path. I lived in Lithuania almost all the time, but the change in my painting and creativity was quite obvious, in my eyes, when I moved to the Netherlands. I've been living here for a year and I don't restrict myself at all in my creativity. Not so long ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD, which I diagnosed myself with even earlier. This is also very much reflected in my work.”
What inspires you?
“Everything that surrounds me. People are probably the most inspiring. I'm not just talking about other artists. Any relationship I have with other people inspires me to create. I used to believe that a lot of "good" art was born out of pain and other negative emotions. But now I'm trying to get rid of that belief. A lot of "good" art is also born from happiness, lust, passion, excitement.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I love symbolism. All my works are full of symbolism, which sometimes you want to explain, sometimes - you want the viewer to start digging into the interwoven secret messages. I imagine it could be just as fun as hiding those messages. I have always adored detective and crime stories, puzzles. Maybe this is where the attention to detail and attention to symbolism comes from. Ever since I moved to Holland and my ADHD journey began, I see in my work a desire to fit in, a desire to calm myself down. At the beginning of the journey, my works, although full of symbolism, were minimalistic. I tried to make them like that. Perhaps, most of all to lead myself out of the chaos of my brain and into peace. This attempt to calm myself down in my work was my hyper fixation, which lasted for 2 to 3 months and I could no longer tolerate this "nothing" in my work. I started to insert more and more details, more colors. This is how my Beige Girls Collection became the Summer 2023 Collection. Now I don't fear chaos, I encourage it. Chaos in creation, at least for me, doesn't have to be explained, understood or loved. I want to be disliked. I want to be misunderstood. Here's another label I'm trying to get rid of - people pleaser.”
“I love symbolism. All my works are full of symbolism.”
How would you describe your work?
“My focus is a magical thing, it turns out. ADHD specialists, Thom Hartmann or Tamara Rosier, say that people with ADHD do not lack attention. On the contrary, they focus on many things at once. Yes, there are other nuances. But this ability to maintain an intense focus on a certain subject for a certain period of time makes my art mine. I myself don't see a connection between some of my works, maybe I wouldn't even say that they were all painted/drawn by the same person. I think this is because I can work on one project for months and then go the complete opposite way. There are so many of those ways. In art, I want to try everything.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Probably underground artists. Those who are at a similar level to me. Not global celebrities, but artists who are struggling in the art world. Their work seems pure to me. I want my art to be like that too. Pure, full of emotions.”
What is your creative process like?
“It's chaos and mess. I want to finally have my own art studio, where I can not worry about what it looks like. Until I have that, my bedroom is my war zone. It all starts with an idea or several at a time. I usually look for reference photos or take pictures of myself. I weave myself into my creations quite often, using my face or poses. It's easier than searching for the perfect pose or facial expression online. I make it myself. The hardest part of creating for me is the lack of patience. When an idea is born, I want to implement it, but before its implementation, there is background painting, drawing an abstract sketch, applying the first layers and so on. Sometimes during the whole process I lose love for the original idea and start all over again. So it is with paint. It's easier with pens and lineart. When an idea is born, I will probably see the result on the same day.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“How I would like to see this evolve. Art is an integral part of human life. An artist is like a storyteller and a thinker rolled into one. They have a special job in our society. They help us see the world in different ways and talk about important things without just using words. Think about when you see a painting, hear a song, or watch a movie that makes you feel something strong. That's what artists do – they make us feel and think in ways we might not have before. So, an artist's job is to help us understand our feelings and thoughts, show us what's important in the world, and even inspire us to make things better. As long as people have stories to tell and things to say, artists will keep on doing their important work.”
Website: arteleveneleven.wixsite.com/karolinailjinaiteart
Instagram: @karolina.the.artist
Brush Bio: www.brush.bio/karolinailjinaite
