Interview
Katarina Abovic
Katarina Abovic is a Chilean visual artist born in 1988. In 2011, she graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. In her years as an artist, Katarina has developed her work, exploring different mediums, predominantly painting and drawing.
Her works are an experimental painting construction that has been projected from different themes, generally related to human beings, nature, and the relationships that arise between them. Katarina has had 2 exhibitions, one in Croatia and one in Bali, both as a result of scholarships outside her country.
Currently, she develops her work in Pichilemu, Chile. She experiments with different expressions of paint, using the human body and head as motifs, and trying to generate surfaces rich in texture and materiality.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My journey in the art world started when I was little. I was very influenced by my grandmother who was an art teacher, and also by other artists in my family. As far back as I can remember, I was working with my hands, experimenting, imagining and creating with every material I could. When I finished school, I studied visual arts and from that time, I have dedicated myself to art, mainly painting. It was a decision I made with my heart, and even though it has had some tough moments, I wouldn't change it for anything.”
What inspires you most?
“I would say the whole mystery of life. I have been specifically inspired by nature, the animal world, and how us humans relate to them. I am inspired by being in contact with wildlife, with other cultures as well as my own - each with different visions about life, with sound and movement.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I am attracted to themes related to the human experience: to our identities, to our physical and ethereal existence. I try to represent images that exist in an uncertain state; that are both pulling together and falling apart. Pieces of existence subject to imminent change.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Gerard Richter, Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollock, Van Gogh, Basquiat, Frank Stella, among others.”
“My work is focused on the construction process of the image. This construction is based on how painting is brought to life onto the canvas; sometimes dripping, other times spreading, fading...and so on. I put emphasis on the repetitive pictorial gestures which reveal the image.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process is mainly intuitive. I could say it has its ‘moments’, and these moments tend to repeat themselves during every creation. There is a keen observation of what surrounds me, then simple registration through photos and sketches and lots of writing on how what I see makes me feel. Then images in my mind begin to appear, and I start experimenting with materials in order to bring the ideas into the physical world. I usually select some models from the sketches and continue working and flowing from that starting point.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I believe an artist’s role in society has a lot to do with reflecting on who we are at the present time as humanity. How we express reality and perceive life is expressed in all fields of the arts. I believe art is crucial in people’s lives, in artists who practice, and also every spectator.
I think nowadays, art can be used to generate real change, consciousness and take an active role in bringing culture and people together.”
“Making art makes us human and allows us to connect with our souls, our real purpose and life mission.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My most recent exhibition ‘Coexist’ took place at Hotel Bidasoa in September 2019. It consisted of 12 works, paintings and drawings representing surreal worlds in which human beings live in harmony with nature.
My second exhibition was influenced by a one-year fellowship in Bali studying the traditional art and culture of the island.”
Website: www.katarinaabovic.com
Instagram: @katarina_abovic
