Interview
Volha Naruta-Johnson
Vola (artist’s pseudonym) is a textured artist. She was born in Belarus, traveled around the world and now she based in USA. She is a wife and mother. Her work merges psychology - the science of the soul - and spirituality, as she believe that everything in us is a reflection of both. She started to work with texture (modeling paste, fabric, gelatin, spray paints, cellophane, patina, sand, foil, stencils, dry pigments, gemstones) since January 2025, but her journey began earlier. Since she was 26, she studied art therapy, neurographic drawing, sacred geometry, and visual symbols as tools for soul and mind healing. Later, she used these approaches in her sessions as a hypnotherapist and life coach. Her paintings open up a space for self-expression, where there are no boundaries for creativity and self-identity. Every stroke and color is a tribute to the individuality and uniqueness of each person’s spiritual path. It is an invitation to reflection, inspiration, and the connection of the puzzle pieces about oneself and the world.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Since I was born, I always thought, “I’m a Jack of all tracks. Not a master of one thing, but certainly not a master of none.” Now, I’m 35 and I’m grateful for it. Because it made me someone, who has tools to speak up. I was born in Belarus into an ordinary family. To be an artist wasn’t an idea for the future or career. Even though, I knew I would. Since 17, I started to travel around the world with inner hunger for the answer of the question: who am I and what was I meant to be? I tried all type of arts, practices, learned many languages. Art, in all its forms, has fascinated me my entire life. Life gifted me with a beautiful voice, which I used on stage for many years, a vivid imagination, and artistic talent. My mind has always reimagined and embellished reality, inevitably leading me back to drawing.
With no formal training, I would draw portraits for my friends as birthday gifts - and each time, people were surprised at how accurately I captured their likeness. When I wanted to decorate my home, I painted. When I needed to escape reality, I painted again. Since I was 26. I studied art therapy, neurographic drawing, sacred geometry, and visual symbols as tools for soul and mind healing. Since 2020, I’ve been using these approaches in my sessions as a hypnotherapist and life coach. In January 2025, I realized I could no longer ignore the call of art. A fire to create had ignited in my hands - something that demanded to be made with my fingers. That’s how texture came into my life. And just a month later, I found I couldn’t stop painting. New ideas kept flowing, one after another. And I understood: my deep knowledge of psychology was the missing link I needed to become the artist I was meant to be. I believe that art and human psychology together are a powerful force. A force that heals, creates, and speaks what words sometimes cannot express. I might be new in the field, but I am not young in life. I’m old enough to know that in this game we call life, there is no real beginning and no final end. There is only the ongoing process - the quiet joy of being, of manifesting what lives inside, and of sharing the values and colors of the soul. Each brushstroke, each word, each gesture - they are not about achievement, but about presence. About honoring what is true, and letting it flow into the world as a gift.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“I believe an artist truly becomes an artist only when they have something to say. For me, if I create not from my inner authenticity - my pain, love, dreams, thoughts, imperfections, inner dialogues, and the battle of shadows within - then my art is not a true extension of myself. And that means it’s just words in the wind, without meaning. My journey to myself - as a person, a woman, a wife, and a mother - was thorny and confusing. For most of my life, I honestly didn’t understand why I should even wake up in the morning, or why keep moving forward. Why say anything at all, if one day we’ll all be gone and it won’t matter how much love there was in the now? I deeply love the woman I’ve grown into today.
The main message behind my art is this: there are no contradictions - not in people, and not in art. You can unite the unspoken. You can play into your life. You can speak without fear of judgment. You can imagine freely, without limits. You can love without fears of being unaccepted. you can be you and know, that it is already enough for today and tomorrow. In my paintings, I bring together my desires - like in the piece where I ride a phoenix. I express my thoughts on duality and shadow - as in the painting called Wholeness. I share my dreams of living in Alaska. But most of all, I want my art to invite people to reflect on their own lives. To dive into the image, to observe it, to touch it, to feel it. In a world so consumed by social media, constant distraction, political unrest, and the struggle to form real connection, the chance to physically and tangibly touch beauty is a way to return to the present moment. To feel one’s body, to feel oneself - maybe even to remember. I love when my art helps someone hear the silence and peace of the present moment within their own heart. In quantum physics, there’s a beautiful theory called quantum entanglement. It’s been scientifically proven: everything that once came close will always feel each other even on distance. I like to believe that through my art, I can connect with many people. It’s my way of loving the world - and being closer to humanity. I want my works to immerse viewers in a world where every stroke and color not only reflect the techniques of painting but also reveal something important within each observer, awakening feelings of love, sadness, and philosophical existential reflections. These are not just paintings; they are journeys into the depths of the soul, where everyone can find a reflection of themselves. My paintings open up a space for self-expression, where there are no boundaries for creativity and self-identity. Every stroke and color is a tribute to the individuality and uniqueness of each person’s spiritual path. It is an invitation to reflection, inspiration, and the connection of the puzzle pieces about oneself and the world.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“It’s a dance between the two. I rarely begin with a strict plan - that would feel too much like control, too much like the mind trying to define what the heart hasn’t yet spoken. But at the same time, nothing in my work is accidental. Before I touch the canvas, something starts to stir inside me. It can be a dream, a phrase I heard, the way light fell across the kitchen table that morning, or a conversation I had with my child. These moments live in me until they become too full, and then they need form. That’s when I begin. I often start with a feeling, a texture, or even a color that I feel drawn to. And from there, the work starts to guide me. It tells me where it wants to go. I listen. I adjust. I follow. It’s very much like a dialogue between myself and the canvas, where I am both leading and being led. My background in psychology has taught me to trust the subconscious—it knows what it needs to express, long before the conscious mind can make sense of it. So, while the outer process may seem spontaneous, the truth is, each piece is deeply rooted in the inner architecture of my life. Somewhere along the way, a structure reveals itself. A rhythm. A message. And when that happens, it’s not about improvisation or planning anymore - it’s about presence. That’s where the real art happens.”
“I believe an artist truly becomes an artist only when they have something to say. For me, if I create not from my inner authenticity - my pain, love, dreams, thoughts, imperfections, inner dialogues, and the battle of shadows within - then my art is not a true extension of myself.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“I observe trends with curiosity, but I don’t follow them as a compass. The art world moves fast - shifting styles, palettes, and headlines - but for me, art has always been more of a heart-led walk than a race. I don’t chase what’s ‘hot.’ My inspiration tends to come from quieter places - something I saw in a dream, a strange silence in the middle of the day, or even the way my child looks at a shadow. I create slowly, like making soup from memory - not following a recipe, just feeling it out. And honestly, I’m drawn to art that leaves me with questions. The kind that lingers like a really good date - not because it gave me all the answers, but because it made me want to know more. So no, I may not follow trends but I follow wonder.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“The main materials - modeling paste, sand, fabric and spray paints, acrylic, but i do a lot of experiments and fun, adding many different things like: gelatin, cellophane, patina, foil, stencils, dry pigments, gemstones, salt, rice and tree bark. Usually, I start with the texture and then just look at it for a long time, imagining what mood I want to convey. Then comes the magic of trusting the process.”
What does your art mean to you?
“All my projects are an opportunity to continue in other people. Like pollen of flowers that fly far across the fields creating new flowers. Art creates art. Beauty grows even more beauty. Love awakens love. People can feel and learn from us only when we have lived it in our lives and were able to tell about it. Texture painting is my new language of love. And through it now I tell my stories.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“If we are talking about great masters, then it is Gustav Klimt. It is my personal meditation to look into the details of his golden works. If we talk about modern artists, literally every first or second artist that I accidentally learn about on social media evokes endless admiration in me and fills me with inspiration. Such as David Ambarzumjan, Helio Bray, Tatiana Palaiciuc, Aneta Barglik, Mario Henrique, and many more. For me, they open the door to ‘infinity of vision.’ We are used to living by rules, it gives security yes, but also stops a lot. Artists like those I listed, give me an example that there are no boundaries. There is only permission to see differently and to see more.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“In January 2025, I started researching and studying texture painting techniques. In March, I took part in online competition, among textured artists, where I studied the techniques, and won, which was a significant milestone in my decision to make a step into career. Since then, I’ve started working on a new series of pieces for an upcoming exhibition, exploring the deep connection between art, healing, and human emotion.”
