JULIA MARIA KEMPA | AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JULIA MARIA KEMPA
BY JASMINE SUKARY

Born in Poland, Julia Kempa began her artistic career as a hyper realistic painter while studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice.
Her work is concerned primarily with psychological dilemmas such as insomnia and anxiety. She uses the human figure as the retrospection of internal thoughts and private observations. Her works have been largely exhibited in various places, including Springfield, USA. She appeared in the TheGuideArtists Magazine, “Śląsk” magazine, and on a national Polish tv channel. She was a finalist in many international contests like the “14th Art Renewal Center” and “BoldBlush” competition. Julia Kempa’s works are in the permanent collections of private art connoisseurs from Europe.

Art Market: Thank you for the interview, Julia. It’s a pleasure having this interview with you. Let’s start from the beginning; what is your background in art, and where this high hyper-realistic technique comes from?

Julia Kempa: I always loved art, and from my youngest years, I want to become a professional painter. I even have a hilarious story for this. When I was eight years old, my nanny asked me what I would like to do when I grow up.
I felt that it was a perfect moment to express my pride in having such a dream, so I answered that being a painter is something that I want to do. She jokingly commented that she does not think it’s quite possible, so, under pressure, I immediately changed my mind and added:
“So I’ll be an archeologist then!”.
I didn’t want to be one, obviously, and I kept pursuing my vision of becoming a professional artist. I went to art high school in Poland, and in 2016 I started studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice.
Details were something that always caught my eye, it was even visible on my childhood drawings, and that’s when the real beginning for hyper realism started.

A.M.: Your work is very impressive. Tell us about the workflow, do you photograph the figure before you start painting? Do you use the photo reflection on the canvas for getting to the strong hyper-realistic impression?

J.K.: Everything always starts from the idea glimpse in my head. Then I usually do a very fast, simple sketch to give my vision a form. Through this process, I also try to create a different variation to have a large variety of opportunities. When the basic concept is done, I try to take a photograph of particular objects and figures which are supposed to appear in the painting. Eventually, I always use Photoshop to manipulate the light and colors more realistically so the viewer will detect a more reliable impression of the final work.
The rest is just a painting process. Of course, some parts and details always change, but the point is to recreate a real from unreal. I want to create a new existence through my hyper-realistic style, not just copy a photograph.

A.M.: Your work is theatrical, where the inspiration comes from?

J.K.: I think that’s just my painting language. Some painters are less surrealistic and treat hyperrealism, only a documentation of reality.
I like to arrange things, and keep a specific way of estheticism in my works, create a subconscious communication with the viewer through concrete colors and light playing on some objects in the composition.
It’s like the performance of reality. Sometimes it’s exaggerated, but from exaggeration, a human being can think and remember better.

A.M.: How did your art changed over the years? On your Instagram profile, we can see also the earlier artworks, mostly based on black and white, Renaissance sculpture style.

J.K.: For a very long time, I always had a strong desire to achieve some kind of realistic manner by imitating and learn from the Old Masters. It really helped me to understand how light and colors act and how I can use it to obtain realistic illusion in my works. When time has passed, I started to look for this perfection in topics that I picked. I wanted to create stories that would help me to speak to other people and be honest with my internal thoughts at the same time.

A.M.: When do you think your current style established?

J.K.: I think that my painting style established just a few years ago, though I am still learning the language of painting and who knows what else I’ll create during the nearest few years.

A.M.: Which artists influenced your style?

J.K.: I always admired academicism in art history, and that’s what led me to develop my realistic style the most. My favorite one was always William Adolphe Bouguereau, a forgotten but highly awarded artist from this period. His original painting technique helped to understand the importance of depth in realism. From more contemporary artists, I would distinguish Nick Alm, Gottfried Helnwein, and Jeremy Geddes.

A.M.: It seems that you are usually working on large scale painting, what is the benefit you find in large-scale artworks, and why do you feel more comfortable with these sizes?

J.K.: I like the larger sizes because they help me release a realistic expression, which is usually more limited when I work on smaller paintings. Huge canvases are not viewed by your eye entirely at once, and you are not distracted by visible edges of your image. It’s much easier to give yourself a breath while painting and not to be pressured by the frame.

A.M.: Tell us about your previous exhibitions.
I understood you were also awarded internationally and that your work appears in very respectable private collections around the world.

J.K.: Yes, I was lucky enough to be appreciated by many people, and it helped me during my artistic career. I took part in the exhibition “Equinox” in Springfield in 2019, and I was a finalist in many art competitions, including 14th Art Renewal Center Salon. It was an enjoyable experience to be a part of such a highly awarded community.

A.M.: What the future holds? Do you have any scheduled exhibitions or future projects?

J.K.: It’s always difficult to predict anything in one hundred percent, but I already have one big solo show planned in 2021. I try to work hard to collect as many decent works as possible, but the second part of this year may also be fruitful with international exhibitions, let’s be positive about this.

A.M.: Does your Art also available in auctions?

J.K.: Currently, some of my paintings are mainly available through art galleries, but I do indeed sell my works on auctions sometimes.

A.M.: What is the most meaningful painting you ever painted (In your opinion?)

J.K.: So far, I believe that it was one of the first huge paintings which I did. “Insomnia” was a perfect reflection of my sleeping problems back at that time. It depicts a human figure motionless on the bed among plenty of crowded sheep sleeping with each other. It’s a bittersweet representation of a dilemma that I faced a couple of years ago.
The idea for the composition came from my vision of God looking at me during the night. I thought how hilarious it had to be for him to see someone lay awake for the whole night, and I decided to recreate this vision with paints and brushes on the canvas. The painting is the size of the average human figure, so the impression of this concept is even stronger in real life. I wanted to connect with people who suffered from similar issues. Art, for me, is one of the most honest mediums which helps you express the hidden truth.

INSTAGRAM: @rosej_art
FACEBOOK: JuliaKempaART

Read The Full Article on Art Market Magazine Issue #46