Katja Jungwirth (47) is a self-taught artist currently living and working in Munich, Germany. She graduated in Fashion Design, worked as a Fashion Editor and started painting her large scale works a few years ago. Her paintings are extremely personal and emotional, all situated on the borderline between feminine fragility and strength.
How did you get into art?
Originally I graduated in Fashion Design. During Fashion School I used to paint a lot but when I started working as an editor it was hard to find time. I stopped painting and at some stage completely forgot about it. It was only a few years ago that I rediscovered it.
How would you describe your style? What makes your work special?
My work is often described as very feminine and emotional. I see it sitting somewhere between abstract expressionism and figurative painting. Originally I used to paint abstract but since the beginning of this year more and more figurative motifs have emerged. Today I alternate freely between abstraction and figuration and I think it is precisely this mixture that creates tension. I paint on raw canvas only. I like its texture and roughness. For me it is the perfect antipole to the rather feminine and soft colours I use. With my work I try to create an honest and stripped-down dialogue between my inner self and the outside world. My paintings are my way of communicating.
How do you go about developing your work?
I am not a great communicator. My head is full of a million thoughts and I tend to overthink. Painting is the perfect way for me to get things out of my head and onto the canvas. Every work starts with the urge of telling something that I find hard to put down in words. I put it into art instead and that is quite liberating.
Who or what influences you?
There are a lot of great artists I adore, for example Egon Schiele, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, Tracey Emin…to name just a few of them. Besides Art, poetry and music are my main sources of inspiration. I often stumble across some beautiful words or song lyrics that express exactly the way I feel and that inspire me to paint.
Make us curious. What are you planning to do next?
I am trying to find a place (and maybe some partners in crime) for my first exhibition. I am a rather shy person and showing my art, being so personal and intimate, to an actual audience is a great challenge for me. But at some point we have to let go of our fears, haven’t we?
Photos: @peopleandpieces
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