Joanna Pilarczyk Radecka: Intimate Portraits
London-based painter Joanna Pilarczyk Radecka has gained international recognition for her vibrant figurative paintings. Born out of isolation in the pandemic, her recent body of work centers around self-portraiture. She often depicts herself at home, enshrouded in the brightly colored plants and patterns of her apartment. Joanna attributes the evolution of her creative process to London’s culturally diverse population and bustling art scene. In this interview, Joanna shares her journey and process with us.
How did your creative journey begin?
I started painting and drawing since the age of five or even earlier. Creativity felt always very natural to me. As a 'shy' child who doesn't want to play with no one but only my twin sister, doing art made me feel comfortable and adventurous.
I knew then that I wanted to be an artist and to help others to find creativity within themselves. My parents and teachers supported my choice, and I went to art college when I was 15. Then I went on to study for an MA in Art Education, specialising in figurative painting and Portraiture. When I moved to London, I met so many interesting creative people who inspired and motivated me to push my art further. I started running art classes in North London to connect more with the local art scene. After few years I realized that I needed to focus more on my own work. I was contacted by an art agent at the end of last year and since then I’ve become very focused on my career.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
People have always been great inspiration for my paintings. During my college or university time in Poland and also later when I moved to London and got hit by a vibrant, multicultural city. I love to paint portraits as I think that there is nothing more interesting as the human face and the story of this person behind their eyes. I created few series of paintings as the 'Nightlife' or 'I see you' inspired by people who I met in my neighbourhood.
Since the time of Pandemic, I started to work on self-portraits and portraits of my partner only. Isolation from other people made it a natural decision. After a year and half, I still continue to find inspiration within my own flat-studio and my relationship with my husband and two lovely cats. I find it very interesting to observe my everyday life and find those special moments. Sometimes it is just a beautiful light coming through the window, reflecting on my plants and flowers, or the variety of patterns and colours which give me the first idea of a new painting. Often, it's a conversation with Jarek or a memory of my recent dream.
How has your work shifted and evolved over time?
During art college it was required from me to paint in a realistic way. Knowledge of human anatomy and academic style was important and I felt comfortable with my skills. When I went to art university, the methods and requirements of my professors were different. The Institute of Visual Arts in Zielona Gora focuses on contemporary art and very modern approach in creative process. The first few years were challenging as I had to 'forget' about my academic knowledge and style of painting. With help of few professors and long conversations with my friends I finally found my style: bold, vibrant colours, flat layers of paint, sometimes with calligraphy added in the background as a comment to particular scene.
Then I moved to London, a beautiful, busy city full of such different people than in Poland. My new friends, artists and my Tottenham neighbourhood became a huge influence for my art. I started to experiment with various techniques like charcoal, ink, watercolours and acrylics. My palette became brighter, colours vibrant and fluorescent, inspired by neon lights of the city. My paintings are full of exotic plants and flowers inspired by different places and cultures from all over the world. What never changed is that I am still a figurative painter.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I work in my flat-studio so it is comfortable as I can start painting any time, usually after breakfast or afternoon in days when I run art classes. Since my recent series is based on self-portraits and my family, I don't have to arrange any sessions with models.
Before I start working on a painting, I take few photos of myself in various positions. I usually wait for the right light in my flat. I live in London so it is not often that I have a wonderful sunny day. I set up some space to photo shoot with various interesting fabrics and patterns which I can find in my room. My flat-studio is full of plants and flowers and I like to capture them in my paintings too. I take a lot of photos of them in different time during the day to catch different light and shades of green. Based on the reference photos I work on the digital sketch for the painting, basic composition which may change later during the painting process. When the project is ready, I start with a pencil sketch on the canvas, then I apply the paint. I like to work with bold and clean colour palette. I mainly use oils with addition of fluorescent acrylics and spray paint. They add this unique, summer vibe to my paintings. I don't try to paint in very realistic way, rather prefer to simplify every object and work with block of colours. I start from light shades and then add contrast so I can always find a right balance of light and shadow in the whole composition.
Over time I definitely paint more often than before. Painting become my every day work. I also spend much more time managing my website, social media, applications and call for artists. From a year now I have been working with my art agent Virginia Damtsa.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
Definitely the pandemic. Before the pandemic, I was working for commercial companies as a freelance artist or as an art educator who runs art classes in North London so I wasn't able fully focus on my personal artwork. In some way the isolation from previous commitments was a blessing. It gave me time to learn much more about myself as a person and artist. I had a lot of existential questions of what I represent, what are my goals and fears which I have to challenge. I realized that I can find an inspiration very close, in my home/studio and from a person who is my partner in life and work. I finally become more aware of what I want. During that time, I was contacted by my art agent. Virginia helped me understand what is important in the art market and what are the next steps I have to take to grow my career.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
Instagram is a powerful tool for any creative person. I think that it's even more important than personal website. My artist community changed from 'local' to 'global'. I used to meet other artist in local cafes, pubs or during art workshops. Now I am happy to connect with artists from different countries through various creative communities and art collectives like: the Visionary Projects, Art Mums United, ArtGirlrRising, All She Makes, The Curator's Salon, Arts to Hearts Project and of course the Visionary Art Collective. I am so lucky as I exhibited with all of them. Virtual galleries and online art platforms are now as much important as traditional galleries. Instagram is now a main source where I can find information about art competitions, call for artists, exhibitions and other important opportunities.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
My goal is to connect with good art galleries in order to exhibit more and gain some recognition from art collectors and curators. I would like to showcase my paintings to a wider audience.
My immediate plan is to show my work on 'Press Play' post -frieze group show on 18th Of October in London. The exhibition is curated by Virginia Damtsa, an art dealer at Virginia Visual Arts. I will showcase my paintings alongside talented Californian artist Ted Wongt and UK artist Colin McMaster. Also, I am going to take part in The Other Art Fair- virtual edition in November and later in London Art Fair planned for January 2022.
My aspiration is to be recognizable as a contemporary Polish artist.
Website: www.joannapilarczyk.com
Instagram: @joannapilarczyk