The Golden Ratio of Architecture
Interview
Fida Spoke to artist Katarina Holkova
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Your Names and what award you entered
My name is Katarina Holkova.
In FIDA Award, I competed in three categories: Historic, Artistic and Poetic.
I am a costume and stage designer working in theatres across Slovakia and Czech Republic.
I won Historic Award and the overall Fida 2022 winner. On the winning picture, I painted an Armani fashion show. When working on it, I put emphasis on depicting the light and the atmosphere of the show. To depict the mood of the fashion show in the winning picture, I did a perspective drawing of the space. I used yellow colour to indicate the interior. In addition, the yellow in the background is like sun light. The picture makes an impression of having a central composition. Its architecture conceals a spot that is almost in golden ratio. However, we do not see that spot. It is the one from which models enter the catwalk. We do not see the models either, except the dominant one in the front. In the winning picture, I combined quick sketching with a more detailed way of drawing.
Drawing is my small universe. I can explore and discover whatever I want to. What I like about fashion is its enormous diversity. I can draw chiffon as well as feathers. Various materials. In my view, each illustration aesthetics reflects the artist’s style.
Why did you enter the awards and why did you select the category?
When I saw the Fida craze on social media, the excitement every time someone got shortlisted for the next round, I had to be part of it. There was so much happiness and enthusiasm. After Patrick announced the winners I felt absolutely euphoric. When the theatres were closed, I began drawing fashion illustrations. So, I have been doing it only for two years. I really enjoy drawing fashion portraits, and I want my style to be brisk, including swift brush stroke. Fashion portraits express how I feel, present my world of emotions. My style of drawing is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. When I draw, sometimes my hand does so, without me being present. Fashion is full of change, and I enjoy documenting FASHION by drawing and painting. I wish to become a professional fashion illustrator. That’s why I entered this competition.
What work did you submit and what style of work did you enter? ie digital/analogue/mixed
The picture I submitted to this competition has the atmosphere of a film. The viewers have blue hair and red eyes, looking like from Fellini’s drawings a bit. Fellini had talent in drawing, which motivated him to become a caricaturist and a portrait painter. I am not a caricaturist, but I am inspired by his style of drawing. Fellini had this magic-realistic style of drawing. His work inspires me to look for my own drawing style. It took me about 4 hours to draw and paint my winning picture. I used a mixed technique: acrylic ink, chalk pastels, marker pens on paper 100 x 70 cm & Procreate. I love working with iPad- Procreate, because it is like a magnifying glass. I can zoom in a detail when drawing. I have always enjoyed drawing and exploring different techniques, I equally love painting, drawing and digital media.
Where did you get your inspiration from and what are you looking at today?
I am interested in people and fashion icons, elegance and the power of FASHION. I enjoy watching FASHION, clothes and fashion designers. Also, for me and the way I see clothes, theatre and fashion have always been running in parallel. From fashion designers, I like the best Vivienne Westwood, Prada, Valentino, Kenzo and Mochino; and from fashion illustrators, Blair Breitenstein, Bijou Karman and Jacky BLUE.
To tell you something about myself, I love “isms” – for example, fauvism, perspectivism, illusionism, gesturism, emotionalism, eclecticism, symbolism. I identify myself through -isms. They are my inspiration. As a scenographer, I work with a scale. I can do all the calculations for one point in the picture. Also, I like creating illusions, for example, perspective offers an illusion of three dimensions.
The same it is with photographs, I enjoy working with photographs, they are part of an illusionary world, too. Illusionism is a way how to deceive the audience. For example, Andy Warhol, too, used the photograph as a medium. A photo is an incentive, a starting point. However, I am more interested in colours than in photographs. Colours are my big topic. In fashion, gestures play a significant role. A gesture is an important aspect of non-abstract art. Through a gesture, an emotion of a model can surface during a fashion show. Gesturism serves as a challenge for me draw. In my work, I am greatly influenced by fashion magazines.
Regarding my style, I consider aestheticism descriptive and very general, I prefer eclecticism. Eclecticism provokes me to combine more styles and techniques. I also like symbolism, especially Edward Munch, and I am greatly inspired by expressionist painters. Symbolism is very spiritual, the world of symbols presents the unknown. I love it when the paints scream sometimes. Moreover, I have always perceived the overlaps between fine art and fashion. I enjoy following the world of fashion, its trends.
"I really enjoy drawing fashion portraits, and I want my style to be brisk, including swift brush stroke. Fashion portraits express how I feel, present my world of emotions. My style of drawing is like doing a jigsaw puzzle."K.Holkova
What next now you're a FIDA member/winner and what should we expect for later this year?
I want to dedicate my work to fashion illustration. It is the matter of my heart. I have this natural desire to create new fashion illustrations and to experiment. I often recycle my drawings. I am planning to do new collages and I will start drawing men as well.. I am also planning to design my own models, and then draw them as a fashion illustrator. Some of my other plans include that I intend to do life-size fashion illustrations. I want to do more drawing, painting, create lots of art so I could have my own exhibition one day. Thanks to Fida I'll have my work displayed third time this summer in their virtual exhibition FIDARTS.