Joline Kwakkenbos
As an artist, Kwakkenbos draws her language and colours from her own imagination. Her work de- scribes an ever-changing self-portrait. This self-portrait is formed by time, by the colours and sounds from her reality and the meaning of her uncontrollable dream world. She starts her working process by describing and documenting dreams that contain the symbolism and language for her visual work in detail. These stories describe adventures in worlds formed by symbolism and meaning of colour. Instagram: @jolinekwakkenbos
For example, through the body of a young woman, Kwakkenbos walks through the high yellow mountains, which symbolise a harvest of joy, and meets figures that give her a new perspective on her own existence. By visualising these stories a sertain subject emerges and a dialogue starts between her words and the paintings. The subjects are mainly about youth, the self-portrait, sexual- ity and friendship. Here Kwakkenbos explores the connection between reality and her adventures in a dream world.
The colours in the work are bright and powerful, as they are experienced by Kwakkenbos when her eyes are closed. The colours serve as a diary, they describe emotions such as desire, sadness and happiness. In her paintings, for example, the 'red' book symbolises an intense friendship and the 'yellow' mist a lost but contented feeling. In her paintings, you often see an interaction between several figures, something that often occurs in her dreams. The physical contact between different bodies often describes a connection between the youth, the now and her desires. In her figurative representations Kwakkenbos searches for the meaning of her existence, she approaches life in real- ity as a theatre play in which her written stories serve as a script, the people around her perform and her dream world forms the backdrop.
Where would you like your work to take you?
The work already takes me to where I want to be, it is my world. Nevertheless I feel that I still have a lot to discover in the making of my work. I know that creativity will flow with life and change just as I change too. My work always opens new doors for me and I want to enter them all and see what lies behind them. I want to communicate and define through my art. I have ideas for exhibitions and the use of new materials, these ideas I want to implement. I long to share my work with others and through it meet other artists.
Which part of your creative process do you enjoy most?
While writing my thoughts and fantasies, while painting and sketching my images, I sometimes come to new discoveries. I feel that my heart starts beating faster and suddenly a very sharp focus appears. I try to capture it immediately and I don't stop until I feel I have shaped the idea to continue with the next day.
I enjoy being amazed, the materials and techniques are tools to capture my amazement.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
My dreams and fantasies inspire me to create the worlds and images on my canvases. I start my working process by describing and documenting dreams that contain the symbolism and language for my visual work in detail. These stories describe adventures in worlds formed by symbolism and meaning of color. For example, through the body of a young version of my myself I walk the high yellow mountains, which symbolize a harvest of joy, and meet figures that give me a new perspective on her own existence.
What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?
Last year I lived in Copenhagen for a while. There, I regularly went out and walked through unknown streets and often sat for a long time on a spot in a busy part of the city. There, I had an overview of several streets and, depending on the time of day, the light was always different, like a set light in a theatre. I then listened loudly into my headphones to very dramatic and filmic classical music, often well-known pieces such as Vivaldi's Concerto L´estate or the Jazz Suites from Shostakovich . While the music was playing loudly in my ears, I watched the busy or, on the contrary, very slow passing life in the streets, as though it were a play and I was witnessing the scene on my own as an audience.
I still do this at various times when I get stuck in my work, so that I can find a new perspective in which to look at my immediate surroundings.
Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?
I have always been very inspired by the people around me, especially my friends. Thanks to them, I learn how other creative eyes can work, what other hands can make and what else is possible outside my own world, which is enormously valuable. Giving criticism and questioning subjects with each other is just as important as giving compliments. There are many artists who inspire me to do what I do now. Artists like Munch, Charlotte Salomon, Gauguin and Helene Schjerfbeck remind me that it should not be about striving for success or fame, but about the work and the content of your own story.
