Interview
Nathalie Hosay
Nathalie Hosay, a Belgian draughtswoman, defines her world through the lens of observation of the rich emotional nuances she captures with mastery. She embarked on her artistic journey after earning a master’s degree in art history and archaeology from the University of Liège, and a rich professional career in the world of communications. With an innate ability to perceive and interpret the nuances of human expression and form, Nathalie cultivates a distinctive artistic style that is both captivating and easily recognizable. Her creations are a testament to the power of a single line to capture fleeting moments. She infuses into her drawings the emotional depth and subtlety particularly in the eyes of her characters. Strength and fragility coexist in her art, as lines of force intersect with fault lines, creating a narrative that transcends the mere visual. Her drawings aim to convey a sense of emotion. We discover in it the poetic beauty of unexpected moments.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Art has always been part of my life. For as long as I can remember, art has been a matter of course. My father was passionate about history and books. He used to tell me about art, museums, and faraway countries that he had discovered in books. The names of cities and countries, the titles of paintings, and the colors, all fascinated me and fed my imagination from an early age. I never asked myself what I was going to study or what path I was going to follow, I naturally gravitated towards art history and archaeology. I loved the hours I spent, almost cut off from the world, immersed in the testimonies of life in past civilizations or in contemporary times. I imagined myself on excavation sites or in museums in the four corners of the world. Even back then I often had a pencil in my hand and began selling small framed drawings that I dropped off at local shops. There was so much to learn intellectually that I didn't have enough time to draw on a regular basis. My professional and personal life has accelerated, one in the world of communications, which I find close to art in many respects, the other in the artistic and cultural world, this time in music. I took up drawing again much later when an accident gave me some time to myself and since then, I can't do without it.”
What inspires you?
“Beauty. Beauty is a state of mind. For me, beauty is understood as something that touches and strikes a chord in the heart. A fleeting glance, an attitude, a smile. Drawing is the art of the moment. To draw is to maintain a link with others - and with yourself -, with the places that inspire you, from which you translate a fragment, an impression. I try to capture these moments, and the viewer then receives them. It's magical to let the viewer dream and imagine their own stories based on a face, an expression, an attitude, an emotion. Beauty and drawing go hand in hand! I love when people tell me that one of the characters I’ve drawn looks like something they know or someone they love - or dislike. It's the viewers' interpretation. It's not insignificant, it speaks to him, in his own universe. And that’s great!
I'm often inspired by people walking through museums and exhibitions, I look into their eyes and draw them into a situation, trying to understand what they're feeling at that precise moment of artistic contemplation. It's like a painting within a painting. These are my "Russian doll" drawings!
Another source of inspiration is travel. I’m always tripping around the world, loving to be 500 miles from nowhere, happy between two suitcases. I need to move around, to see what other people do, how they live, and what they feel. All the discoveries that make an impression on my retina help my thoughts and my work to evolve. I’m always on the lookout and fascinated by desert landscapes. I find in them serenity and, at the same time, the tremendous excitement of life. I've done a few drawings of desert landscapes, but it seems to me that to express all their magic and depth, brushes would be more appropriate than pencils. I'll get around to it one day.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“The human being and his emotions, his complexity, are at the heart of my work. Every face is different, and I like to capture the inner depths of faces. Through my work, I try to provoke an emotional reaction, to touch the viewer. That's my sole ambition. Using my pencil to capture flashes of life, ephemeral but universal emotions, gives me profound happiness and sweet pleasure. And I hope it's the same for the viewer.”
“The human being and his emotions, his complexity, are at the heart of my work.”
How would you describe your work?
“It's not up to me to describe my work. I don't have enough distance. It's up to each viewer to do so. The floor is yours!”
Which artists influence you most?
“James Turrell for his extraordinary relationship with light, Rothko for his fascinating play on color, M.C. Escher, for its impossible constructions, Egon Schiele for his strokes of genius, Nicolas de Staël, Georgia O’Keeffe, Caspar David Friedrich, Albrecht Dürer. There are so many I love! I've been inspired to get back into drawing by two American artists whose work I admire: Victor Gastelum and Raymond Pettibon. Contemporary architects also inspire me. I'm a huge fan of contemporary architecture, and it's one of the only other jobs I'd have liked to do but I don't think I'm very good at geometry. They suggest perspectives and ways of placing characters in an environment.”
What is your creative process like?
“My work is based on the stroke but also color. I draw with a minimum of means: pencil, felt-tip pen, and drawing paper. I use a coloring application that I made myself, and I use it on my smartphone rather than a PC. The improved agility and haptic engagement offered by the smartphone interface are the main factors in this decision. Get to the point with a few strokes of the pencil and then come back to each stroke to improve it. The choice of tones and solids is very important, as it helps to create an atmosphere. I like to see ideas suddenly take shape and color. I started with black and white, always displaying a deep love of black and white design in clothing and interiors. The strong contrast allowed me to express a certain depth of feeling. Then, I evolved towards softer colors. And colors came into their own. I'm extremely sensitive to them, and my eye perceives the slightest variation effortlessly. Just as some musicians have an absolute ear, I often joke that I have an absolute eye! I can go back to a drawing for days if I'm not entirely satisfied with the color. Sometimes it's a micro-tone difference, but for me it's important.
I usually know in advance what I'm going to draw, but I find myself starting more and more at a drawing and then going off in a direction I hadn't considered. It's as if things just happen as if my hand becomes independent and takes unexpected paths on its own. I then look at my drawing as if it were being created outside me. I love the process of creating something as I go along.
Recently, I've been asked to illustrate several books. My approach is similar to the one of a translator: I translate words, concepts, and ideas into images, reading the image on several levels. I enjoy entering the world of other people's words. Revealing connections between the written and the visual. After all, the graphic arts are also a language. Bernadette Pâques, the author, and I sometimes had different ideas and an exciting dialogue ensued, with one idea flowing from another in a mutually stimulating and inspiring sequence. These were very rich experiences.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Art is an integral part of human civilization. Over time, it has served to protect us from chaos, to identify and exorcise our fears, to provoke thought, to educate or indoctrinate people, to shake up preconceived ideas, to communicate, to connect people, to abolish borders - and not just geographical ones -, to advance mentalities, to transcend life and its realities, not always very funny and often quite anxiety-provoking. Art and artists have so many functions and a transversal role, across time and space. Art reflects an era but also shapes it. Art is the memory of our world. When we've forgotten everything about a civilization, what remains is its art, its identity. It is, and will remain, an all-powerful tool. Many theses could be written on the subject. On my scale, and from my perspective, art is a way of life and can be expressed in every act we do. Through its ability to touch our emotions, it brings us closer together, in a positive dynamic. It makes the world a little more beautiful and a little warmer in the eyes and heart of the beholder.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My path and the evolution of my creative work are punctuated by wonderful encounters that have led to the recent realization of several artistic projects: books, book signings and presentations of my artistic approach, collective exhibitions, as in Barcelona recently, or solo exhibitions in Brussels, Liège, my hometown. I see all these opportunities as bonuses, opening doors to enriching experiences and dialogues.”
Website: www.nathaliehosay-illustration.be
Instagram: @nathalie.hosay
Brush Bio: www.brush.bio/nathaliehosay
