When did you first get into drawing?

Drawing has been a part of my life for so long that I'm not able to recall the first 'moment' which started the whole thing for me. I have been involved in fashion illustration for more than a dozen years now. It all happened quite naturally for me, I usually paint women.

Why did you choose to make fashion part of your inspiration?

To me, fashion is not just about clothes. It's more of an admiration of the whole thing, man and the matter. 

With some silhouettes from fashion shows, it's about the harmony of the lines while with other it's more about the deconstruction. This is what drives me and fuels my passion for drawing and painting.

I'm not really into obvious, self-explanatory art. Sometimes an unrelated illustration reveals a lot about fashion. Alexander McQueen's darkness or Rick Owens' avant-garde creations can manifest themselves in the colors or in the way I draw. I like to emphasize the ideas of a designer with certain techniques of drawing. I hate to be bored and fashion provides me with a lot of inspiration and that keeps me busy.

Who or what has influenced you over the years as an artist?

My inspirations are quite broad 'stylistically'. They range from the Pre-Raphaelites to Mark Rothko's work. They seem to be worlds apart, but this is what I love about art – its infinite variety.

I love it when a piece of art moves me and stays with me for a long time. I remember how moved I was by the 2009 'The Horn of Plenty' show by Alexander McQueen. It was such a strong experience, it still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. That was when my love for fashion began, the dark and disturbing performances that seem to be more like theatre than fashion shows.

What advice do you have for younger artists looking to be part of this industry?

It may sound cliche, but as an artist you just have to do your job and be good at it. Passion is key in this profession. If you love what you do, you want to do it non stop, and you end up spending a lot of time doing it. I happen to think about painting or drawing even during daily chores. Sometimes I go to sleep thinking about a specific picture I'm working on and then I dream about finishing it. Sounds crazy, I know but I guess that pretty much shows my attitude to art. 

People look for certain rules to follow but with art you shouldn't really follow the rules. They approach me with questions about my technique, about the brushes or the paints I use. I guess they are afraid to experiment while the most beautiful thing about this 'job' is to be creative and bold. The worst thing that could happen here is a canvas to be repainted or a piece of paper to be torn and thrown away. So the price is not very high while being bold may bring really interesting results. 

What are you drawing today? Music are you listening to? Books that you are reading? Favourite artist/designer at the moment?

Today I was working on several projects, including the design of the book cover and illustration for a fashion magazine. Then there are also preparations for an upcoming exhibition of large-format paintings with various media and formats. I like that kind of variety. I think this helps me grow and stay fresh as an artist.

After several years of work, it is a very good feeling - for example the excitement I still get when going back to painting with watercolours after a month with other techniques (actually, even a couple of days is enough for me to feel 'hungry' for a certain technique, I love this feeling)

I listen to audiobooks during work. The books are there with me all the time, but when I turn to larger formats, I usually switch to music.

My beloved designers? Alexander McQueen, first and foremost, then Rick Owens or Ann Demeulemeester. I also love going back to John Galliano (e.g. Dior 2008), Christian Lacroix or Valentino shows from time to time.