CreativPaper Issue 21 Vol 1 by CreativPaper

CREATIVPAPER Magazine

Vol 01

Issue 21

Welcome

CreativPaper allows both the art and importantly, the artist to shine. The art space is saturated with voices; connectivity and social media have made it ubiquitous, making it harder for individuals to stand out. Some artists make millions, while others barely manage to scrape by. It is hard for an artist to show themselves, they’re drives, and what informs their practice along with their work. Our responsibility as a publication is to look beneath the craft and reflect the issues that many artists find essential. Good art is not just aesthetically pleasing; it has meaning and addresses the world and our condition. Themes of inequality, environmental crisis, innovation, identity and consciousness are values we deeply believe in. These shared values help artists find kindred souls in CreativPaper.

Contents

ERIKO KANIWA 06 JEROME CHIA HORNG-LIN 12 PIA KINTRUP 16 MATTY HEIMGARTNER 20 YULIIA KORIENKOVA 24 ANN DUNBAR 28 MOUSSA SALMAN 34 ANJA DIABATÉ 36

Cover Artist

ERIKO KANIWA sensegraphia.jp

As humans cover more of this rolling blue ball in space we call home, the lines between organic and inorganic forms tend to get blurred. The more that Tokyo based digital artist Eriko Kaniwa photographs nature, she is enamoured at how we perceive these in-between forms. The founder of Sensegraphia fine art, Eriko spent some time with us to answer questions about her book JOKEI, the isolation that comes with being an artist and some of her happiest memories growing up.

Did you have a goal in mind when you started work on your book ‘JOKEI - Symbols of Nature Worship, Sacred Places of Japan’? The unique sensibility of the Japanese who finds and respects sacred things in the activities of nature is clearly different from the monotheism of Western Europe, where they can feel the flowing energy of nature and the universe and think about their own mind and body as a medium. I think there is some elements that lead to artistic activities. I started shooting this series with that in mind, what exactly it is, and whether I can come across something that can answer that question. Let me say rather than a goal, I would like to continue shooting over time as my life work and find my own light. I used a long exposure trying to capture a profound and meaningful atmosphere for some pictures of the water Torii gate and

Meotoiwa(Wedded rocks), the number of them have become pretty many, but there are still other subjects. They are not the only subjects of nature worship, but mountains, forests, and waterfalls themselves are sometimes also recognized as gods. and also we feel spirituality sacred thing in the old trees that live hundreds or thousands of years, and symbolize them as the god with Shimenawa, a sacred festoon, that is used for separating a holy place from other unclean places. Last year, I started taking pictures of the sacred trees, however, it is very difficult to go around doing it nowadays due to the COVID situation. So recently, in the vegetables, fruits, or the other food materials that make our cells and body, I am working on the subject of trying to find out how the shape of nature appears. Just because nature is very close to us under any circumstances. 06

Spiritual Landscape, The scenic Beauty - Moon Digital Photography, W153cm x H50.5cm Created in Japan 2018

Spiritual Landscape, The scenic Beauty - Sun Digital Photography, W153cm x H50.5cm Created in Japan 2018

It is food, water, and your body. Cultivating the sensibility to identify it is one of the important themes of SENSE GRAPHIA. Once the COVID has converged, I would like to go back to shoot the sacred trees for sure.

Although I became healthy and stronger growing up, still marriage and childbirth had an impact on the perception of my identity. Everything about myself was put off later and it made me so confused. In such everyday life, I started taking macro photographs of plants in the garden, and the theme of how to visualize the invisible activities of the natural universe as art emerged. It was a great help in rebuilding awareness of my recognition of myself.

Would you say that being an artist is an isolating profession? Has the pandemic made this worse? First of all, to be honest, the question of whether or not you are an artist is not comfortable. It’s synonymous with living, and it is almost the same as being asked, “Is your job to breath air or eat?” Instead, I answer “yes” when asked if creative expression activities require lonely work, both mentally and physically. Of course, I know there are sociable artists. However, I am not dexterous, also because I am pretty sensitive to my senses, as, like sounds, smell, and the air, it is difficult to make it coexist with the social aspects of interacting with many people. Expressing the theme that is inherent in me requires delicate concentration.

And in 2011, the so-called “311” Great Eastern Japan Earthquake occurred. In addition to the enormous damage caused by the disaster, earthquake and tsunami, the explosion and meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been a major cause of concern for Japanese people in the form of radioactive contamination for the past 10 years.

It seems that some people are not accustomed to the environment isolated by the COVID situation, but I don’t feel much difficulty because it is rather every day for me. Rather, not being able to go on a photography trip is more stressful for me. However, I thought that there should be something I could do because of this situation, so I decided to study at an art university this spring. There is an old saying, “Fishermen repair nets during storms.” In my case, I would like to take this opportunity to learn the basics of art under the guidance of an expert, and newly again to lay the foundation for creative expression activities. Could you tell us a bit about what your life was like before you founded Sensegraphia in 2014? In early childhood, I was physically weak and couldn’t even go to kindergarten.

In combination with the COVID situation nowadays, the theme of how we can find beauty and the sense of connecting to the earth in our daily lives which are likely to be crushed by anxiety and fear, even a little more positive is very important to me. There would be many ways to do this, but I have strong hope for some possibility of how we could improve our aesthetic sense and sensibility. It was SENSEGRAPHIA that was launched with such thoughts. At the company I was working for at the time, I created a workshop program to develop sensibilities through visual sense using photographs and provided it at universities, graduate schools, and companies. The development of the program has stopped due to a lack of budget, but I am still trying to keep the concept as my own expression activity.

Spiritual Landscape, My spirit go beyond, Digital Photography, W90 cm x H45 cm Created in Japan 2017

Spiritual Landscape, Floating Sanctuary, Digital Photography, W90 cm x H51 cm Created in Japan 2018

Floral Transformation, Digital Art, W80 cm x H 80cm Created in Japan 2019

Nautilus Universe - Distortion, Digital Art, W80 cm x H 80cm Created in Japan 2020

Do you think that as humans, we forget that we are intertwined with nature and not elitist as some in the species believe? I don’t like the idea that mankind is the primate of all things on this planet. Human beings are only on Earth as one of diversity, and we humans cannot survive without the lives of other living things. The recent development of science and technology is trying to change even the way human beings are, but nature gives us everything that human beings need to survive. We are the parasitic thing to the ecological system just as a virus needs a host. Being reverent for the work of nature, life is connected and complemented in an invisible way in nature, which could be said exactly what Japan’s nature worship is. I like the thought of that way, and I will continue to stick to that way of thinking and position. And I believe to realize that is the meaning of my birth as a Japanese in this life.

that, most of the Japanese artists I admire have been out of Japan and are working abroad.

How is being an artist culturally perceived in Japan? Are you expected to have “normal” jobs working long hours in an office? Perhaps because Japan is a defeated country of WWII, it must be said that national or administrative art support is extremely scarce although It seems recently that the situation of surrounding understanding of art has been getting changed somewhat due to various corporate efforts. This is my personal experience, when I was working for a company, I was sometimes told with a cynical tone “Oh yeah because you are an artist”.

I would say rather than memories, I am a person who wants to live every moment without regrets. So I want to see how everyone can find happiness under the essential values of “as a human” beyond gender and “as one life” every day on the earth. That dream has always been and will always be the same. I am looking forward to seeing how the discovery will change my art expression activities in the future. And I will be so happy if my artwork could make someone happy. END

If you were to describe Eriko’s happiest memory growing up, what would it be? I recently realized myself that essentially I cannot feel comfortable with the norm of gender “man or woman” It is finally beginning to help me understanding how it has influenced my philosophy of love. I would say rather than memories, I am a person who wants to live every moment without regrets. So I want to see the world everyone is able to find happiness under the essential values of “as a human” beyond gender and “as one life” on the earth everyday. That dream has always been the same and will always be the same. I am looking forward to seeing how the new discovery about myself will change my art expression activities. And I will be so happy if my artwork could make someone happy.

I don’t know if this is peculiar to Japan due to the negative history, or a personal thing that happened to me, but there was something strange feeling. However, still, this may be a very personal feeling. In any case, Japan’s land and the plain area is small, so I think it can be said that there was a tendency to try to eliminate something foreign as a public consciousness. Maybe as proof of 11

Artist Feature

JEROME CHIA-HORNG LIN jeromelin.net

Fascinated by the vastness of the human mind and the wonders of mother nature, Taiwanese artist Jerome Chia-Horng Lin believes his artistic practice is an amalgamation of the two with emphasis placed on the exploration of images created in the human mind. He has spent the last few years working on his egg series a topic that continues to fascinate him till this day. He believes he is on a spiritual journey with a path that changes organically as he creates. Letting the spiritual and spontaneous aspects of being an artist guide his next steps. We are excited to see where they lead him next.

Ask the heaven, oil on canvas, 60.5 x 50cm, 2018

The waterfall from an egg, oil on canvas, 60 x 60cm, 2019

The floating eggs after they reach the bottom, oil on canvas, 100 x 80cm, 2019

Artist Feature

PIA KINTRUP

piakintrup.com MATCH CYCLE - COMPEDIUM 2015 - 2020 ONGING

A match is a small, primary industrial product. Fire is an essential achievement in the progress of humankind. The match cycle is a compendium of artworks in a variety of media created between 2015 and 2020 still ongoing. The works are all connected through the research and experimenting about essential questions about photography, objects, and exposure of different kind of materials. The exposure of both the panels and the photographic paper follow the same principle. The panels depict an analogue recording of light without the aid of a camera, enlarger or exposure unit. The photograms were exposed to open flames created by matches ignited above the photographic paper. It splits up the medium of photography into its essential elements. Due to the exposure, especially in the latest generation of the match cycle, the wrinkles on the surface of the photographic paper building themselves up. matches 6.0 refers to creating light by mastering fire and fixing the shadows through photography, which represent essential achievements in the evolution of man.

Matches No.2, C-Print in a black wooden frame, 50 cm x 35 cm, 2015

Matches 1.0 wooden panel, burned matches, 40 cm x 27 cm, 2015/16

Matches No.3, C-Print in a black wooden frame, 50 cm x 35 cm, 2015

Artist Feature

MATTY HEIMGARTNER mattyheimgartner.com

For artist Matty Heimgartner, creating art is akin to telling a story. He draws strength from his experiences as a Gay man who has battled with mental health and addiction. Sobriety and sanity are constant themes in his work. He finds the process of creation therapeutic, inspired by the emotions that run through him. Since 2017, Matty has been active in the California Bay Area art scene, showing in galleries and festivals around the Bay. He has also been a resident artist of KALEID gallery in San Jose since 2018.

Daytime Anxiety, Acrylic and house paint on canvas, 20” x 16”, 2020

Daydreaming, Acrylic and house paint on canvas, 20” x 16, 2020

Coming Down, Acrylic on canvas, 14” x 11”, 2019

Interview

YULIIA KORIENKOVA uliia.com

With the rapid advancement in technology, the world around us is being reshaped right in front of our eyes at a pace that most of us are struggling to keep up with. The concept of a computer being a stagnant device is being replaced by mobile technology and apps. Artist Yuliia Korienkova believes that art should also evolve to keep up with these changes. She devotes herself to robotic art inspired by the technological prowess that Artificial Intelligence has brought. Originally from Ukraine, Yuliia lives in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where her studio is located. Artificial Intelligence seems to be infiltrating every corner of our lives these days; where do you think this will end? I don’t think infiltrating AI will ever end unless there will come something more advanced. Meanwhile, AI will transform every aspect of our life and most probably will transform a human’s form as we know it; the logical evolution for me in that sense is to blend with artificial intelligence in one, to utilize it at most for the advantage of the human race since we are facing inevitable changes on our planet that are leading us to exist in the internet space more than inorganic one. As someone who studied philosophy and computer programming, how do you approach art? I guess the classical approach to art is through emotions, and I don’t approach my art this way. Since I have a very logical brain, my relationships with art based on

the idea that triggers the mind and therefore a soul when I look at it, and when I create it, it’s rather a quest, a puzzle to collect together, or a mathematical equation to solve than just an emotion I want to express. I look for the philosophy behind the art, the inspiration it can give, and the message that artwork sends rather than for a feeling. In a world obsessed with consumption and capitalism, do you think conservation and considered living still has a chance? I think conservation and considered living are the things that are giving this world a chance. They are like invisible columns that holding up all this heaviness of the living, and unfortunately, with every new generation, they are fading away. But I want to believe that they will keep making this essential balance between an obsessed world and inner peace.

How do you think art will transform in 2021? For sure in 2021 will be very challenging for art, when in 2020 we still hoped that situation regarding social distancing would change, it didn’t and in 2021 is already clear that art can’t operate in a traditional form any longer (I mean exhibitions, art fairs, etc.) and have to move in online space. It’s exceptionally challenging because most of the art just looks much better in person. Photography and even a video simply can’t describe an artwork the way it actually is with all its textures, colours, dimensions... It’s something impossible for a certain period; maybe we just lacking the right technologies; even VR view rooms suck, and they sounded very promising. But this year will be the year of determinately moving in that direction. Could you name three artists that continue to inspire you? Now most inspiring for me is Takashi

Murakami, and not only because of his spectacular art, but the way he operates is so inspiring! He is a modern Warhol for me with his ahead-of-time approach to art, the way he leaves his mark in this world through collaborations, producing and running his label, how he created a brand out of his art. He is a living legend. I’m deeply fascinated by Marcel Duchamp, by the way, he transformed the whole idea of art, by the way, he was questioning the entire essence of the art world. And I’m a big fan of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I guess you can see his impact in my artworks from time to time. I’m enjoying child-like forms with the deep meaning behind them, I admire his way of addressing racism and other critical social topics. Long after his death, he keeps influencing art, literature, film, music, and fashion. END 26

Artist Feature

ANN DUNBAR anndunbarart.com

With over forty solo and 120 group shows under her belt, artist Ann Dunbar is an award-winning painter and textile artist who is currently based in France. Her pieces combine traditional art mediums with embroidery to add a depth that mere paint cannot match. The delicate threads combined in her beautiful landscapes highlight the fragility of her subject matter, something close to Anna’s heart. She has exhibited in countries ranging from Italy, Japan, China and Cambodia to the United Kingdom, where she was born and took her first steps into the world of art after being a teacher for sixteen years.

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Treasure on the rocky shore 40X40cm

Trapped Tidal Treasure no 2 90x 90cm Embroidery on paper

Trapped tidal treasures no 1 90x90cm

Tracery 90x90cm Ebroidery on Water ciolour

Beach Combed no :1, 34x34cm, Embroidery on watercolour

Artist Feature

MOUSSA SALMAN moussasalman.com Instagram.com/moussasalmanart

Adversity can be the catalyst for change and learning. When times are tough or the pressure is mounting, it can force us into a phase of excited accountability. As tough as this year has been, it has led to change and uprising, the likes of which we have not seen in a long time. For Egyptian born artist Moussa Salman, the stimulus was close to home. With no formal education in the arts, his creativity was driven by a response to his daughter’s chronic illness and the pressure it placed on the family. Abstract, yet controlled there is a fluidity in his pieces that captivates the viewer. Currently based in the Netherlands, his daughter Amal continues to be the centrepiece of his attention and life. His pieces proving that even in the darkest hours, one can be inspired.

Sea of Love, 2020, giclee print on canvas, certified and signed, 6 limited editions, each one is a unique size. Size (4/6): 100 x 150cm

Lonely Lady, 2020, giclee print on canvas, certified and signed, 6 limited editions, each one is a unique size. Size (4/6): 100 x 133cm

Interview

ANJA DIABATḖ anjadiabate.com

Based in Hamburg, Germany, artist Anja Diabaté uses fine art photography to transform her ideas and visions into reality. Diving into her creativity, she uses every photograph as a base for multiple artworks. Her hands-on approach sees Anja take on the role of a model and makeup artist within her pieces. Each completed piece tells a unique story, her aim is always to inspire the viewer into depth and reflection. What does nature mean to Anja? Everything begins here and everything ends here. I need nature to live and to work. Here I can experience, discover and witness with all my senses. I like the silence and finding answers. The thought space and the energy it gives me. She is a source of inspiration with all of her life, shapes and colours, tones and scents. At the same time, it is also a meditative temple in which I can be. We, humans, are obliged to protect our nature, to honour it, to care for it and to preserve it.

and then grows into a whole. It is important to me to be free and authentic in my art. I don´t want rules. My personal goal is always to be able to develop creatively and passionately without restrictions. Regardless of what might be expected from me.

Could you talk us through your artistic process? At first, it´s just a thought or a feeling. Often not formulated at all. Another time the whole concept is in my mind´s eye and I see the entire series in front of me. However, it can be a long way from the idea to implementation. The creative process is very exciting for me when it is not yet clear. You have to imagine it like a puzzle that is added piece by piece to further pieces

Everything is an inspiration. A colour, a word, a gesture, an image or a person. Personal experiences also change me and thus my creative work. I could make this list indefinitely. Each attribute in itself or combination is a new series for me. An inexhaustible source. A concept then slowly ermerges, supported by sketches, notes and a lot of imagination. My aim is always to create a series, which in turn differs in the individual motifs, whereby it never

This is the only way I can start creative processes in order to then get a hundred percent result for myself. But I am also obliged to give my creativity space so that it can develop. For this, I need a relaxed atmosphere. Then everything flows.

Motif . with you . from the series . Hand in Hand

Motif . Indian Spirit I

loses the idea of series. A numer of variations are already created during the concept phase. However, it is extremely important to me during the shoot to have room for the surprising, to be open to the unpredictable and also to recognize it. The next step in which a numer of modifications are mad is in the image editing process. Here, too, it is very important and essential for me to be in a carefree mood in order to be able to work really creatively.

see this closeness as a gift. For me, this time is not a standstill, but a time of personal development. It is the concentration on the essentials without distraction. What is Anja´s breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning? A good cup of coffee in bed and around my books, my sketchbook and a sharpened pencil. That makes me happy. END

The make-up, details, clothing, background, everything is created by myself and implemented for my greatest pleasure. Were your steps towards fine art photography organic? Yes, I got into fine art photography naturally. It was a development process over a number of years. Your pieces are like entire stories, how would you encourage the viewer to take the journey into your art? There is only one way. About the feeling. That´s the key that opens the door. When an image touches, the viewer is ready to take more time to look more closely and immerse himself. That is why it is so important that an image, no matter what genre it comes from, has a soul. There’s just no better word for it. It has to touch us, if it does, I´ll stay or I´ll come back later if I trust myself to my own feelings. The image remains, in the mind of the beholder and in his feeling. Are there any artists that have inspired you along the way? Yes, there is. From very different areas, such as photography, painting, poetry. I especially adore and love Tim Walker´s art worlds. How have you dealt with the unique adversities that this pandemic has thrown our way? I spend this special time with my family. We 39

Motif . I hold you ... not for always but for eternal . from the series . Hand in Hand

Motif . Indian Spirit II

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